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STDs  (Expert Forum)
 | 
Penis Pain/ Rash for 3 weeks now
Answered by
University of Washington Seattle - WA
Welcome to the STD Forum, which is intended only for questions and support pertaining to sexually transmitted diseases other than HIV/AIDS, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, human papillomavirus, genital warts, trichomonas, other vaginal infections, nongonoccal urethritis (NGU), cervicitis, molluscum contagiosum, chancroid, and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). All questions will be answered by H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D. or Edward W Hook, MD.

Penis Pain/ Rash for 3 weeks now

by emt85, Sep 13, 2005 12:00AM
Dear Dr.
I am 20 years old. 3 Weeks ago I had protected vaginal sex and unprotected oral sex with an unknown woman. The condom broke and the next day the following symptoms started:

Next morning: Pain in the tip of the penis that worsened when my penis rubbed against my underwear noticable red abrasion on rim on penis head.

2 Days After Event: Penis pain gets slightly better (never any pain with urination), I start to notice that the head of the penis looks rough almost scaly, and no longer feels smooth to the touch There is also what looks like a swolen ring around the openeing of my penis. I started having a sore throat and a small bump at the bottom of my mouth that i can feel with my tounge.

3 Days after Event: Abrasion on penis head is totally gone.I visit a local STD Clinic. Dr. There says that my mouth looks fine and my throat definatley looks sore, and that the openeing of my penis looks slightly iritated. Schedules a followup to test for chlamydia.

10 days after event: Pain in penis is slightly better, Dr. Takes urine sample for test. Puts me on Zithromax anyway to see if symptoms go away.

12 Days after event: Sore throat is 90% gone, Penis pain is still the same and occiasional mild testicle pain starts. Still no noticable discharge or pain with urination. Just "ring" around openeing of penis that is sensitive to the touch and frequent penis pain. Ociasionally I will have some pain in the area of the anus allthough nothing happened whatsoever in or near that area.


Present (3 Weeks after): Penis pain comes and goes but is there at least once a day, if i examine my penis in good light it almost looks like there is a red rash covering most of the head (many red dots all extremely small and raised just to the point where the head of my penis is rough to the touch. There is still a swollen ring around the penis opening. The MD at the Clinic still has not recieved the results of the urine test and just today I started to notice some swelling of a lymph node? or 2 in my left breast area. I am extemely scared that these all could be symptoms of acute viral syndrome or possibly herpes. I am starting to question the doctor  at the clinic's timetable for testing. She states that I will not have an accurate test for herpes or HIV for 3 months, and originally she told me the chlamydia test would only take about 7 days. When I called the office yesterday they stated it normally takes considerably longer than that. The only other thing that I can possibly thing of is that the cheap condom that was used somehow iritated my skin or i had a reaction to spermicide (not sure if it had it)  

I am sorry for such a long post, but my main questions are
1. When should I get tested for HIV/Herpes
2. Do these symptoms sound like any particular STD
3. How long does a chlamydia urine test normally take

Thank you so much for your time    


by H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D., Sep 14, 2005 12:00AM
I doubt you have any STD at all.  No STD can cause symptoms that start less than 24 hours after exposure.  However, allergy to latex condom, or--more likely--irritation from condom lubricant if it contained a spermicide, such as nonoxynol 9--could do so. I cannot comment on the cause of the apparently abnormal appearance to your penis, but it doesn't sound like herpes.  Most of the rest of your symptoms sound like they may be anxiety, which can dramatically magnify otherwise normal body sensations that people wouldn't otherwise notice.  To answer your questions:

1) There is almost no chance of HIV from the exposure you describe.  But if you want to be tested, wait until 6 weeks after the exposure; you don't need to wait 3 months with modern tests.  (If you're really worried about it, you can be tested at 4 weeks, but a few percent of infected people won't have positive tests by then.)  For herpes testing, you should wait 6 weeks, or to be really sure, 3 months.

2) No, and you have had negative tests so far.

3) The lab requires a few hours to do the test, but some labs batch their tests; for example, if your specimen came in just before a chlamydia run, perhaps the test wouldn't actually be conducted for a couple more days.  Then you have to add time for your specimen to get to the lab, then for the results to be sent to our doctor's office.  Bottom line:  usually results are available in 2-3 days, but 7 days isn't unusual.  It shouldn't take longer than that.  (Your symptoms don't suggest chlamydia; the test will be negative.)

Good luck--  HHH, MD
Member Comments (3)

by !confused!, Sep 14, 2005 12:00AM
I have had almost identical symptoms for the past 6 months following an almost identical exposure.  I have since tested negative for HIV, and herpes (twice--once 9 wks post, and once 14-15 wks post).  I have no answer, but it doesn't seem like herpes is probable.  
Let us know what you find out.
Good luck.

by emt85, Sep 21, 2005 12:00AM
Dr. I am confused at how my exposure was low risk? The condom broke  during vaginal sex.

I also still have not recieved the results of any STD test

Also I was just diagnosed with a sinus infection and put on an antibiotic. Is a sinus infection a possible symptom of HIV?
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