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Herpes symptoms lasting 3 weeks+?
Dr. -
I had protected sex (condom that covered most of the penis, with maybe a 1/2 inch uncovered at the shaft) but unprotected oral both ways with a woman on 5/19/10. Exactly 2 days later I noticed a large bump in my pubic area centered on a hair follicle, about an inch from the base of the penis. I pulled out the hair and thick white puss came out. I cleaned it up and it still stayed swollen for a few days and also 2 more bumps like it appeared, not clustered but still in the pubic area, so I went to a skin Dr. and she said it was probably nothing and gave me retapamulin ointment to put on the area. That was 5/26. Things seemed to be getting better but 2 days ago I noticed a small bump on the backside of the shaft of the penis. I also noticed a bump on the front of the shaft near the base. Now there is 3 or 4 bumps, all in different areas. I am also feeling slight pain where the tip of the penis connects with the shaft and slight pain in my right testicle if I move or it is bumped in just the right way (this would not scare me whatsoever if the bumps weren't there. it isn't an alarming pain)..
Some other things:
-at nearly the same time, i had a massive full body acne outbreak which i thought was because i suddenly quit weightlifting. It is especially noticable on the front of my quads.
-no headaches or fever, maybe swollen groin glands? Im not sure.
-the woman i had sex with also went to the Dr. because of a bump she had near her 'lower back\ butt' area about the same time I went to the Dr (we did not know until later that we both got some skin problems after sex).. She said that her dr. said it was a cyst maybe from a bacteria she got from wearing tight workout shorts and layin on the mats at the gym. they cut the cyst off and put a bandage on it and gave her oral antibacterial pills. she also claims she does not have herpes and had a recent pap smear with all negative std results.
what is it? When do I wait to get tested?
Thanks! -J
I had protected sex (condom that covered most of the penis, with maybe a 1/2 inch uncovered at the shaft) but unprotected oral both ways with a woman on 5/19/10. Exactly 2 days later I noticed a large bump in my pubic area centered on a hair follicle, about an inch from the base of the penis. I pulled out the hair and thick white puss came out. I cleaned it up and it still stayed swollen for a few days and also 2 more bumps like it appeared, not clustered but still in the pubic area, so I went to a skin Dr. and she said it was probably nothing and gave me retapamulin ointment to put on the area. That was 5/26. Things seemed to be getting better but 2 days ago I noticed a small bump on the backside of the shaft of the penis. I also noticed a bump on the front of the shaft near the base. Now there is 3 or 4 bumps, all in different areas. I am also feeling slight pain where the tip of the penis connects with the shaft and slight pain in my right testicle if I move or it is bumped in just the right way (this would not scare me whatsoever if the bumps weren't there. it isn't an alarming pain)..
Some other things:
-at nearly the same time, i had a massive full body acne outbreak which i thought was because i suddenly quit weightlifting. It is especially noticable on the front of my quads.
-no headaches or fever, maybe swollen groin glands? Im not sure.
-the woman i had sex with also went to the Dr. because of a bump she had near her 'lower back\ butt' area about the same time I went to the Dr (we did not know until later that we both got some skin problems after sex).. She said that her dr. said it was a cyst maybe from a bacteria she got from wearing tight workout shorts and layin on the mats at the gym. they cut the cyst off and put a bandage on it and gave her oral antibacterial pills. she also claims she does not have herpes and had a recent pap smear with all negative std results.
what is it? When do I wait to get tested?
Thanks! -J
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to our Forum. To get an accurate assessment of these lesions you should go and have your doctor take a look and, if there is any concern, he/she should take a culture or PCR test for herpes (fyi, do not need blisters of open sores for a herpes culture or PCR, the specimen can be taken with a swab from the surface of a lesion/sore). In all probability however this is not herpes. Your vaginal sex was condom protected and that the condom did not cover your entire penis does not change that. The risk of herpes from oral sex is low unless your partner had a cold sore at the time she performed oral sex on you.
Your description of the first lesions was a perfect description of folliculitis. Folliculitis occurs when the pores in your skin get plugged. This allows that normal bacteria that are present on just about every-one's skin to grow and cause what is essentially a pimple. Some of these just appear as red bumps which may or may not be tender while others go on to actually form pimples. Since this was the origin of the first sores, it is likely to also be the origin of the current ones but, as I said, the best way to be sure is to go and have your doctor take a look. Any direct testing performed at this time should be accurate. I would not recommend a blood test for herpes however, it would not provide accurate information.
Hope these comments help. EWH
Your description of the first lesions was a perfect description of folliculitis. Folliculitis occurs when the pores in your skin get plugged. This allows that normal bacteria that are present on just about every-one's skin to grow and cause what is essentially a pimple. Some of these just appear as red bumps which may or may not be tender while others go on to actually form pimples. Since this was the origin of the first sores, it is likely to also be the origin of the current ones but, as I said, the best way to be sure is to go and have your doctor take a look. Any direct testing performed at this time should be accurate. I would not recommend a blood test for herpes however, it would not provide accurate information.
Hope these comments help. EWH
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
I will chime in at this time. then the conversation and comments should move to the HSV community site.
You have HSV-1. Guess what, so do about 60%of adults in the U.S. Of these, 80-90% of people with infection DO NOT know that they have it. The majority of people who have HSV-1 have it due to childhood acquisition of oral infection, not due to genital infection. There is NO evidence whatsoever that you have genital HSV-1 and lots of reason to believe his is not the case.
I suspect your concerns are more of a reflection of your anxiety and guilt over the encounter that you had than anything else. I hope these comments will provide you with some grounding. If you want to know more about HSV infections, you should take a look at the information avail be through the American Social Health Association (ASHA) web site (both Dr. Handsfield and I are members of the AHSA Board of Directors).
Further questions and discussion of this however should go to the HSV Community site. There will not be further answers from me. EWH
You have HSV-1. Guess what, so do about 60%of adults in the U.S. Of these, 80-90% of people with infection DO NOT know that they have it. The majority of people who have HSV-1 have it due to childhood acquisition of oral infection, not due to genital infection. There is NO evidence whatsoever that you have genital HSV-1 and lots of reason to believe his is not the case.
I suspect your concerns are more of a reflection of your anxiety and guilt over the encounter that you had than anything else. I hope these comments will provide you with some grounding. If you want to know more about HSV infections, you should take a look at the information avail be through the American Social Health Association (ASHA) web site (both Dr. Handsfield and I are members of the AHSA Board of Directors).
Further questions and discussion of this however should go to the HSV Community site. There will not be further answers from me. EWH
If anyone was following this topic, this is the followup. I went to an Immediate care center after work last tuesday because of testicular/abdominal pain (some discomfort in my testicles when walking or trying to urinate or even laughing) The area also looked/felt swollen. I also have a rash/redness on my penis in a few areas. Visually, the doctor couldn't say for sure what it was so I had urine tested, swab test, and blood test done. I also took antibiotics right away before the results to ward off syphilis/gonorrhea/ other bacterial infections. The blood test indicates I have HSV-1. I am not exactly sure how I got it, but I would imagine it was from unprotected oral sex. I just feel sick knowing i have to live with this forever
Doc, I have one additional question for you regarding testing....
My question is, can a culture test be done on normal skin (there is no pus, just redness) with any accuracy? You said not to request a blood test, but perhaps I should wait a few months and elect to do that? Would having mono/chicken pox affect a blood test (have had both)? The reason I bring this up is that now I have a red area which looks like a rash on the backside of my penis about the size of a penny. It is not sore and does not itch/burn. there are also 5 other 'red dots' scattered on my penis, one of them on the head. These all look completely different from my first symptoms that gave me a scare. Would it be weird for a first outbreak to occur about one month after contact?
thanks again
My question is, can a culture test be done on normal skin (there is no pus, just redness) with any accuracy? You said not to request a blood test, but perhaps I should wait a few months and elect to do that? Would having mono/chicken pox affect a blood test (have had both)? The reason I bring this up is that now I have a red area which looks like a rash on the backside of my penis about the size of a penny. It is not sore and does not itch/burn. there are also 5 other 'red dots' scattered on my penis, one of them on the head. These all look completely different from my first symptoms that gave me a scare. Would it be weird for a first outbreak to occur about one month after contact?
thanks again
Thanks for the response. I am hoping that I am just freaking out about these bumps and having sex with someone I wasnt in a committed relationship with. I swear it is as if i could look hard enough at a certain area near my genitals and a red spot would appear. I will try and get a culture test before they go away. thanks
You are reading content posted in the STDs Forum
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Millions of people are diagnosed with STDs in the U.S. each year.
STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
