Aa
Confused
9 weeks ago I had unprotected sex with a girl I met at a club. About a week later I had a small splotchy red rash on the tip of my penis. It wasn't raised and there weren't any bumps. There was a slight tingling discomfert. I went to a docter the day after it appeared and they swabed the area and a little bit inside the opening of my penis for herpes and put me on antivirals. The test came back negative for herpes and the rash cleared within 3 days. But, the tingling discomfert remained. I went back and they tested for chlamydia and gonorrhea, they gave me a shot and put me on antibiotics. Both tests came back negative. The sensation eventually became unnoticable and I stopped thinking about it. Since that time, however, the rash has come back 3 times. It is always on the tip of my penis, around the opening, tiny and red. All 3 times it has happened after I have masturbated and the rash occurs where my semen has come into contact with the skin on the tip of my penis. Although, it does not happen everytime. The rash usually takes about a day to clear up, but I usually notice the tingling discomfert in the tip of my penis beyond that time. A week ago I had a blood test done for herpes and HIV and they both came back negative. I know from reading posts that both of you usually say 6 to 8 weeks is definitive for HIV tests, but suggest 3 months as definitive for herpes. So I know my test results for herpes could be a false negative, which brings me to my questions:
1) Should I just wait a month and get re-tested for herpes? Or should I be looking into another possible cause for the rashes?
2) Is the reason for the different timelines for definitive results between herpes and hiv because herpes blood tests are less sensitive at picking up the anitbodies for herpes? Or is it due to the greater frequency of herpes in the population that you give a more conservative estimate?
Thank you in advance, this is a really nice service.
1) Should I just wait a month and get re-tested for herpes? Or should I be looking into another possible cause for the rashes?
2) Is the reason for the different timelines for definitive results between herpes and hiv because herpes blood tests are less sensitive at picking up the anitbodies for herpes? Or is it due to the greater frequency of herpes in the population that you give a more conservative estimate?
Thank you in advance, this is a really nice service.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Intra-urethral yeast or fungal infections are rare and I doubt your urethral feelings have anything to do with the penile rash. However, this might be possible if the rash itself is on the tip and involves the urethral opening. Most important, whatever it is, it's nothing serious. Considering the antibiotics you received, this isn't anything that will ever harm your health or that of a sex partner. Perhaps knowing that will help the symptom improve, especially if anxiety about it is contributing to the sense of discomfort.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
The terminology can be confusing, made even more so by the shorthand used by some physicians.
As you may know, fungi are large group of organisms. Yeasts are a particular group of fungi. Yeasts (and other fungi) include those that do and do not cause human infections. Yeasts -- mostly Candida albicans and other Candida species -- are the most common cause of genital fungal infections, especially in women. So many providers have the habit of calling all genital infections "yeast". However, on dry skin non-yeast fungi probably are more common. The most frequent of these are the same fungi that cause athlete's foot, or closely related to them.
It is rare to do tests for the specific diagnosis for yeast or other skin fungal infections. In general, a visual diagnosis is accurate enough to prescribe appropriate therapy. Anyway, testing isn't all that easy, with expensive tests whose results usually don't make any difference in management. In most cases an over-the-counter cream like Lamisil and others is effective. In other word's, your doctor's diagnosis and advice sound entirely appropriate, just what I would have done. But you could clarify with her whether she really means yeast or other fungi-- although it probably doesn't much matter.
As for your "tingling, annoying sensation", this may not be due to the same thing. Neither yeasts nor other fungi are likely to cause such a thing in the absence of an obvious, easily visible rash. If these are your only symptoms, I would not expect any anti-fungal or anti-yeast treatment to make any difference.
Finally, this might not be a yeast or fungal infection at all. Most of the hundreds of kinds of skin rash sometimes affect the penis. If antifungal treatment isn't helping, or if the tingling etc continue in the absence of rash, then your next step probably should be to see a dermagolotist for a second opinion.
As you may know, fungi are large group of organisms. Yeasts are a particular group of fungi. Yeasts (and other fungi) include those that do and do not cause human infections. Yeasts -- mostly Candida albicans and other Candida species -- are the most common cause of genital fungal infections, especially in women. So many providers have the habit of calling all genital infections "yeast". However, on dry skin non-yeast fungi probably are more common. The most frequent of these are the same fungi that cause athlete's foot, or closely related to them.
It is rare to do tests for the specific diagnosis for yeast or other skin fungal infections. In general, a visual diagnosis is accurate enough to prescribe appropriate therapy. Anyway, testing isn't all that easy, with expensive tests whose results usually don't make any difference in management. In most cases an over-the-counter cream like Lamisil and others is effective. In other word's, your doctor's diagnosis and advice sound entirely appropriate, just what I would have done. But you could clarify with her whether she really means yeast or other fungi-- although it probably doesn't much matter.
As for your "tingling, annoying sensation", this may not be due to the same thing. Neither yeasts nor other fungi are likely to cause such a thing in the absence of an obvious, easily visible rash. If these are your only symptoms, I would not expect any anti-fungal or anti-yeast treatment to make any difference.
Finally, this might not be a yeast or fungal infection at all. Most of the hundreds of kinds of skin rash sometimes affect the penis. If antifungal treatment isn't helping, or if the tingling etc continue in the absence of rash, then your next step probably should be to see a dermagolotist for a second opinion.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the STD forum.
From your description, this doesn't sound like herpes or any other STD. Herpes simply doesn't behave or look the way you describe and my guess is that it has nothing to do with your recent sexual encounter; more likely a localized fungal infection or other irritation. Even though the HSV blood test is not perfect, as you note, the combination of non-herpes symptoms plus the negagtive test make it certain that something else is the explanation.
1) You don't need any further testing for herpes. If your own physician is unable to give you a definitive diagnosis for the problem, I suggest seeing a dermatologist.
2) Every blood test for antibodies to an infection has differences from others in the biology, chemistry, and technology of the test. There is no particular reason that it happens to take longer for HSV than HIV.
I hope this helps. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
From your description, this doesn't sound like herpes or any other STD. Herpes simply doesn't behave or look the way you describe and my guess is that it has nothing to do with your recent sexual encounter; more likely a localized fungal infection or other irritation. Even though the HSV blood test is not perfect, as you note, the combination of non-herpes symptoms plus the negagtive test make it certain that something else is the explanation.
1) You don't need any further testing for herpes. If your own physician is unable to give you a definitive diagnosis for the problem, I suggest seeing a dermatologist.
2) Every blood test for antibodies to an infection has differences from others in the biology, chemistry, and technology of the test. There is no particular reason that it happens to take longer for HSV than HIV.
I hope this helps. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
Thank you doctor, it does help. I assume constantly reassuring people gets old, but it really is appreciated.
The tingling sensation feels like it is inside the tip of my penis, which I don't know if I made very clear. The rash occurs on the tip of my penis when it is visable, but when there is no rash, I still feel a tingling sensation inside of my penis, still located towards the tip, if that makes sense. Could I have yeast or another fungus inside the tip of my penis?
Thank you doctor. When I first went in, it was to a ready care and the doctor who looked at it said it could be a yeast infection, but she did not test for it. Are there other fungal infections that aren't yeast infections? And how would I go about getting tested for it? From what I understand, they rarely test or treat men for this and my rash doesn't stay very long, but the tingling, annoying sensation remains and is becoming fairly annoying. Thank you for all of your help, again.
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.
