Discomfort coming and going

[CautiouslyOptimistic]

I had a sexual encounter two weeks ago. Recieved unprotected oral and protected vaginal (used a polyutherine condom). My partner insisted she is not infected with anything and that it has been over a month since she last had sex.

I did notice her fluids had yellowish/greenish chunks. I saw them on top of the condom when I pulled out.

The next day I started feeling discomfort in my penis. I know I have been experiencing this on and off for most of this time since then. I know this part is likely due to anxiety over the event.

Two days ago, however, I noticed a slight discharge - very miniute amount - when I woke up in the morning, it was clear/white but it may have had a slightly green/yellow too. I wiped it off and it did not return.

On two occasions in the last three days or so I also had a sharp pain inside my penis near the tip. The pain went away by itself after maybe an hour or so.

What are the chances of getting infected with chlamydia or gonnorhea or another STD when using a condom? I've heard they are small but would like to be more specific.

What about when I took the condom off, is there a chance that during taking it off some of the bacteria or fluid was transferred to a place on my penis and caused it to get infected?

How quickly do symptoms of STDs arrive? What is the lag time between getting pain and starting to notice a discharge if you are infected with an STD? Do these symptoms come in certain stages or in certain time frames?

Lastly, is there anything I should look out for to give me a clue that I have or have not been infected? As far as I saw so far I have not had any abnormal growths or sores or anything.

Thank you for your help.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

I forgot about the unprotected oral.  UnluckySoul is right about that as a potential source of nonchlamydial NGU.  But it remains unclear (to me) whether you are having signficant symptoms or not; you do not necessarily have NGU.  I hope the provider who tested you for gonorrhea and chlamydia also examined you for discharge.  But you can expect negative tests for gonorrhea (symptoms not severe enough) and chlamydia (not acquired by oral sex).  In any case, orally acquired NGU probably is harmless to both infected men and their sex partners, an inconvenience more than a serious health threat.

UnluckySoul, you are wrong about urine versus swab in testing for gonorrhea. The urine tests are just as accurate as swab-collected specimens.  Please be sure of your facts before you make comments; you're not welcome to continue posting inaccurate information.  You're at about 50% so far.

HHH, MD

[CautiouslyOptimistic]

I just recived my test results by phone. I was tested for gonorrhea and chalymdia and they are both NEGATIVE.

This was a urine test done 13 days after the possible exposure.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Yes, it is possible.  Once in a while NGU is caused by certain types of adenovirus, which mostly causes colds and flu-like illness, and it can be sexually acquired by oral sex.  But you have to assume you have an STD and get it checked out.  Gonorrhea still is possible. (Chlamydia is unlikely; it is rarely acquired by oral sex.)   I won't have any further comments unless/until you report what a health care provider found after you are examined and tested.

HHH, MD

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Your new question should have been posted here.  Only a limited number of new  questions can be accepted daily and unnecessary ones block others with new qustions. I deleted the new one.

You asked "As of yesterday the discharge has been increased on my penis. It is milky white and it leaves stains on my underwear (looks like it is a consistent stream of it).

Could this be a UTI and if so, if the girl giving me unprotected oral sex had the cold or flu could this potentially cause a UTI?

Also if I was really worried about STDs and kept checking my penis for symptoms (touching and splitting the penis to look for discharge) could this have caused a UTI or irritation that would explain my symptoms?"

UTI is very rare in healthy younger men, and UTI does not cause discharge from the penis.  Only STDs do that.  Given your history, most likely you acquired NGU from the oral sex episode you describe above.  Gonorrhea is less likely but possible, especially if it is staining your underwear. Repeated checking for discharge by massaging the penis can be irritating, but it does not produce discharge.

My original reply above says:  "If you are pretty certain your morning penile mucus is not normal, see a provider about it."  That is what you need to do, right away.   There is no point in trying to get more information in this forum or online; personal medical evaluation is absolutely necessary.

Good luck--  HHH, MD

[CautiouslyOptimistic]

Thank you for responding again. Just so I am clear then, it is possible that not an STD such as chlamyida or gonnorhea but a partner with a cold/flu could have given me a NGU?

[UnluckySoul]

Just to let you know urine test are even less reliable then a swab when testing for the only thing I think you have which is NGU

[CautiouslyOptimistic]

If there is no way I could have gotten anything from this encounter then that makes me feel safe as I am 100% confident my previous encounters did not yield anything.

I have gotten a urine test this morning for Chlamydia and Gonnorhea but I will not be getting the results back until Monday.

I am wondering if my pains were caused by just anxiety as my thoughts were focused on the whole situation when they were occuring.

Thanks for your help in assessing the situation and giving me much needed piece of mind. If my pains do persist along with the morning discharge I will definitley seek more tests but I think your explanations for this are adequate and probably accurate.

[UnluckySoul]

Hello Doctor, There is some truth to what you are saying but he also recieved unprotected oral. I Know wew had a difference of opinion to say the least about this before. I am NOT a doctor nor do I claim to be one all I said the last time was that I am currently NGU POSITIVE and an old girlfriend and I re-kindled an old flame I thought that I was protecting her buy using a condom, I used saliva for lubricant and she called me the next day complaining of smelly discharge. She is in a relationship and they have sex all the time and this never happens. The last tim she Had this discharge was when her and I were together. I am on ofloxin right now and as I stated before I have discharge, my right ball hurts like hell, my head hurts, my finger nails have blood clots in them but all of this disappears when im on the meds and reappears when I finish the bottle the doctor gave me. Im just trying to help doc.  

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

A woman's judgment of her sexual and genital health (she "insisted she is not infected") is much more reliable than a sex partner's observation of the character of her vaginal secretions.  I would disregard it.  Anyway, you used a condom!

The comments by UnluckySoul probably are not relevant; as I said above, you can't get NGU through a condom.  It is true that the bacteria that cause NGU (other than chlamydia) aren't detected in women.  As I said above, your morning discharge suggests a possibility you have chlamydia or NGU.  But if so, you didn't get it during the exposure you describe.

NGU and NSU are the same thing; just different terminologies across the Atlantic.

HHH, MD

[UnluckySoul]

I have to say that you are very wise in paying atttention to your sudden pain cause most men ignore it and can carry NGU for a long time.NGU is NEVER picked up in females and RARELY identified in males hence the name NSU Non Specific Urethritis  the woman that you had sex with most likely was tested NEG for all STDs but still had NSU/NGU. Tell your doctor about your symptoms and mention that you had a high risk parner and you have discharge he should give you Doxy refrain from sex protected or non-protected for about 3 weeks and after that do not have sex with any old partners just to be sure.

[CautiouslyOptimistic]

What about her discharge containing yellowish/greenish chunks? None of my prior partners had such a discharge.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

You can't get gonorrhea or chlamydia through an intact condom.  I suppose you could have chlamydia or nongonococcal urethritis (NGU) to explain your scant morning discharge, but if so, you didn't catch it during the encounter you describe.  Many men have a small amount of clear mucus in the penis in the morning, especially if they had an erection during the night (which most men do during REM sleep).  The convoluted scenario you are worrying about--contact with secretions when taking the condom off, and so on--isn't high enough risk to worry about.

Therefore, the timing of all the symptoms you ask about is irrelevant, since you couldn't have caught a urethral infection, and were at low risk for skin infections like herpes, HPV, or syphilis.  But in general, gonorrhea symptoms typically start within 2-5 days, with large amounts of yellow pus and painful urination.  NGU or chlamydia symptoms are milder, with smaller amounts of whitish discharge, usually not painful (often more of an itchy sensation when urinating, not really painful).  Herpes lesions ('sores') typically show up in a few days, but it can take a couple of weeks.  Warts ('bumps') take several weeks to a few months.

If you are pretty certain your morning penile mucus is not normal, see a provider about it.  Regardless of that, if you have otherwise been sexually active and not tested for common STDs in the past year, this would be a good time, since it is on your mind.  Your local health department STD clinic would be a good choice.

Good luck--  HHH, MD