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Possible HPV Symptoms?
7 months ago I had an encounter with a massage therapist. She performed unprotected oral sex for about a minute and we had condom protected vaginal sex. About three weeks after the encounter, I developed a rash on the left side of the fold of my groin. It migrated to the perianal region and then my right side. I've been to a dermatologist who treated me for fungal and bacterial infections, but with no permanent resolution. I often experience a dry burningsensation in the area. The doctor now characterizes it as seborrheic dermatitis.
About three weeks ago, I started to experience a steady burning sensation on my penis. Upon close inspectiI noticed a number (20-30) small bumps on the underside of my penis. They run from the base toward the head. There is generally hair in this region as well. They are visible when I stretch the skin, but when un-stretched, are barely noticeable. I went back to my dermatologist last week and he looked at them with a magnifying glass and didn't really give me an outcome, but didn't call them warts. He gave me a new antifungal for my groin and said to come back in one month. I'm worried these might be genital warts from my encounter and I have the following questions:
1) Could the burning sensation be a sign of a developing outbreak of genital warts? If so, is three weeks or longer feasible for that type of symptom?
2) Do genital warts always present on the top of the skin so that they would be visible when the skin is un-stretched?
3) When warts physically appear, how long does it take for them to fully develop? I know they can continue to spread and grow over time, but once one appears, how long before it is generally fully grown?
4) Is it at all plausible that the rash in my groin is related to an HPV infection?
5) Since my sex was condom protected, wouldn't I have had to have skin to skin contact to spread warts to the shaft of my penis? Could the HPV spread through subsequent skin contact, e.g. masturbation?
About three weeks ago, I started to experience a steady burning sensation on my penis. Upon close inspectiI noticed a number (20-30) small bumps on the underside of my penis. They run from the base toward the head. There is generally hair in this region as well. They are visible when I stretch the skin, but when un-stretched, are barely noticeable. I went back to my dermatologist last week and he looked at them with a magnifying glass and didn't really give me an outcome, but didn't call them warts. He gave me a new antifungal for my groin and said to come back in one month. I'm worried these might be genital warts from my encounter and I have the following questions:
1) Could the burning sensation be a sign of a developing outbreak of genital warts? If so, is three weeks or longer feasible for that type of symptom?
2) Do genital warts always present on the top of the skin so that they would be visible when the skin is un-stretched?
3) When warts physically appear, how long does it take for them to fully develop? I know they can continue to spread and grow over time, but once one appears, how long before it is generally fully grown?
4) Is it at all plausible that the rash in my groin is related to an HPV infection?
5) Since my sex was condom protected, wouldn't I have had to have skin to skin contact to spread warts to the shaft of my penis? Could the HPV spread through subsequent skin contact, e.g. masturbation?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
This is entirely normal. Every penis and scrotum has that appearance.
Is it common to see bumps/raised areas when pulling the skin of the scrotum or base of penis taut? Especially around the pubic hair exit sites? Appears that you can see hair or follicle pushing against skin. Or would this possibly be some type of folliculitis? My husbands scrotumski has this appearance.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Regardless of the timing, warts or HPV are not teh cause of your problems. and you don't have to stretch skin in order to see warts.
Please accept the diagnosis of your dermatologist and my science based, reasoned, and reassuring assessment.
Of course you could have HPV, since every sexually active person gets one or more genital HPV infections. If you have had at least 3 different sex partners in your life, you can pretty well assume you have been infected. But happily, the large majority of infections cause no important problems; and if you happen to have HPV, it has nothing to do with your genital area skin problems. I suggest you just move on without worry about this.
Please accept the diagnosis of your dermatologist and my science based, reasoned, and reassuring assessment.
Of course you could have HPV, since every sexually active person gets one or more genital HPV infections. If you have had at least 3 different sex partners in your life, you can pretty well assume you have been infected. But happily, the large majority of infections cause no important problems; and if you happen to have HPV, it has nothing to do with your genital area skin problems. I suggest you just move on without worry about this.
Dear Dr. Hansfield, Thank you for the quick response. A couple of clarifications - it is seven months after my exposure, so I am in the window of when warts would typically appear. My burning has existed for three weeks now. Also, to clarify on number 2 above, warts would generally show on the top layer of skin regardless of if it was stretched or not - correct?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the STD forum and thanks for your question. I'll try to help.
HPV infections cause no symptoms except for visible skin abnormalities like warts; or in rare cases, when warts cause symptoms themselves -- for example, altered urine stream if there are warts in the urethra, hoarsenss for respiratory papillomatosis, i.e. warts of the vocal cords. HPV does not cause penile irritation of the sort you describe. And 3 weeks is too soon: warts do not appear sooner than 2-3 months after exposure and the usual interval is 6-12 months.
Beyond all this, your symptoms are typical for a skin fungal inection, as your dermatologist diagnossed, and a dermatologist's opinion on visual inspection for warts is very reliable. Since your dermatologist believes you don't have genital warts, that also is my opinion.
Those comments answer most of your questions, directly or indirectly. But just so there's no misunderstanding:
1,2,4) No, warts/HPV don't cause such symptoms.
3) Warts can grow and develop over several weeks for months. As noted above, typically they first appear several months after exposure.
5) Yes, condoms protect only the parts of the penis covered by the condom. But all the evidence is that you don't have warts, and that your genital area rash has absolutely nothing to do with the sexual encounter 7 months ago.
I hope this has been helpful. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
HPV infections cause no symptoms except for visible skin abnormalities like warts; or in rare cases, when warts cause symptoms themselves -- for example, altered urine stream if there are warts in the urethra, hoarsenss for respiratory papillomatosis, i.e. warts of the vocal cords. HPV does not cause penile irritation of the sort you describe. And 3 weeks is too soon: warts do not appear sooner than 2-3 months after exposure and the usual interval is 6-12 months.
Beyond all this, your symptoms are typical for a skin fungal inection, as your dermatologist diagnossed, and a dermatologist's opinion on visual inspection for warts is very reliable. Since your dermatologist believes you don't have genital warts, that also is my opinion.
Those comments answer most of your questions, directly or indirectly. But just so there's no misunderstanding:
1,2,4) No, warts/HPV don't cause such symptoms.
3) Warts can grow and develop over several weeks for months. As noted above, typically they first appear several months after exposure.
5) Yes, condoms protect only the parts of the penis covered by the condom. But all the evidence is that you don't have warts, and that your genital area rash has absolutely nothing to do with the sexual encounter 7 months ago.
I hope this has been helpful. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
You are reading content posted in the STDs Forum
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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.
