Reoccurring Red/Pink rash on penis

[asylum686]

I noticed a pink/reddish rash on penis. It happened 4 days after I went to a strip club where a stripper licked the side of my penis a couple times. It appeared on the bottom side of the shaft starting from the bottom of the head and went down onto my testicles. They do not hurt or itch and are completely smooth and flat with minor inflamation. I have had no blisters or lesions. They start out as small spots and then it goes into one big rash. It starts out red and then fades to a pink. After 5 to 6 days they fade back to my normal skin color. The area gets a little shiny after they are gone and stays a lighter color than the rest of my penis. They are all isolated to the left side and under the shaft. There is also a small amount of dryness in the location where the rash is. It does not hurt when urinating. I went to the doctor about a month after and got tested and came back negative for all STD’s. I did not think much of it because I tested negative. It came back about 6 months later. I went to the doctor again to see what it might be and she said that it did not look like herpes and gave me Nystatin. The cream helped it go away in about half the time as it usually does but I only used it on the first outbreak. It came back about a month after that and showed up for 1-2 days and then went away. The next month it came up every week for that whole month and would go away in the same time of about 1-2 days. I went to see a different doctor after that month and he said that it was not herpes and probably just fungal and to keep using the cream I was given. My Concern now is that I started to read up on it and I read that herpes test are no good until 3 months. I know that all my focus on that region can make me notice things that usually are no big deal. When looking at pictures online it looks more like Psoriasis but I am no doctor and from what I read herpes can resemble a lot of things.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

See a doctor or clinic ASAP, preferably tomorrow -- for examination when the rash is fresh and new.  If possible, see a dermatologist.  Do not use any creams, ointments, or any other treatments until you have been examined.

Although herpes often recurs in the same area, your description still is not typical for herpes.  Further, herpes never recurs this frequently; once every 4-6 weeks is about most frequent possible, and usually it's no more often than every 2 months.  There are plenty of other skin rashes that recur.

Feel free to report the result of an immediate examination.  Other than that, there is no point in continuing this discussion.  I cannot help further.

[asylum686]

I currently have the same symptoms going on but this time they seem a little worse. It is in the exact same place as the previous outbreaks. One big red inflamed patch has shown up and it is sore to the touch. I notice a sore sensation off and on when not touching it. The patch starts from about the center of my penis shaft and goes down onto my testicles and is about a half inch wide. I also noticed that it was secreting some clear fluid just where the rash was so I dried it and after a hour it had some moisture again so I dried it again and the moisture did not return. The whole rash was moist so I could not pinpoint if it was from a certain part of the rash. After about a day there was no pain and the the color became a soft pink and had a small amount of dryness to it. The inflammation also reduced down but did not completely leave. The following day I rubbed it to see if it was still dry and the patch became very flaky and seemed to reactivate. It became red and painful to the touch again. The flakes peeled of and was very shiny. It is the sixth day and is now almost completely gone. The only thing left is some inflammation and it is a very dull pink. I also had some slight pain in my lower back and a tingling sensation on my inner thighs which has never happened before, probably just stress from this and focusing in on that area.. It has been 3 weeks since the last outbreak and the 9th now in the last 8 months. Sorry to be asking you another question but I got nervous with the pain from it and it weeping clear fluid.

[asylum686]

Thanks for your help.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Based on your description and your doctors' opinion, I do not recommend a herpes test.  Even if positive, it would not explain a rash like this.  A positive result would only mean you have asymptomatic herpes plus the rash, caused by something else.  But if you insist, you should wait until at least 6 weeks after onset of symptoms; 4 weeks is too soon.

[asylum686]

Thank you for the reply. I just wanted to ask you because I have been doing a lot of research lately and I have a lot of faith in you and Dr. Hooks knowledge on STD's. I just got scared because of its reoccurrence and I read on sites that herpes can show up as just a rash. I am going to see if this current cream works and if not I will be heading back. Most of the other questions I had you have answered on other posts. I do have 1 question just out of curiosity, is a herpes test at 1 month after exposure completely useless.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Welcome to the forum.

STDs are not common causes of skin rash of the penis or other genital areas.  Non-STD problems are much more common.  And your description of the rash does not sound like herpes or any STD, as your doctors have told you.  It has nothing to do with the oral sex exposure you mention; that probably was just a coincidence.  It might be a yeast infection, or a condition called lichen planus, or any number of other conditions.  Most are not at all serious, but you should conintue to work with your doctor if the rash continues and doesn't respond to the medications they prescribe.  If you have not yet seen a dermatologist, that would be a good idea; a dermatologist probably would know the right diagnosis instantly. In any case, you can definitely stop worrying about herpes or other STDs.

I hope this helps.  Best wishes--  HHH, MD