Should I be worried?

Within the past 6 months I have received unprotected oral sex from two strippers.  The tip of my right testicle is sometimes tender.  I believe that this was before the first occurence.  My main concern is infecting my wife.  Should I be getting tested?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

You have little to worry about.  Oral sex is an inefficient way to transmit STDs.  Of the bacterial STDs only gonorrhea and nongonococcal urethritis (NGU) are transmitted through oral sex; chlamydia is not and without an obvious sore or lesion on your partner’s mouth, the chances of syphilis and herpes is likewise tiny.   If you had gotten gonorrhea or NGU you would have most likely developed symptoms of urethritis (penile infection).   It would be unusual to have testicular symptoms without urethritis symptoms as well.   Thus your risk is low but not zero.  Given that you have these testicular symptoms, while it is very unlikely that your testicular symptoms are due to STD,  you could go to your local STD clinic or health care provider to be tested at this time.

As for oral sex, the quoted figure for HIV risk, if one has oral sex with an infected partner is less than 1 in 10,000 and, in my estimation that is too high. Some experts state there is no risk at all from oral sex.  Neither of us on this site have ever seen or reading the medical literature of a convincing instance in which HIV was passed by oral sex.  

Hope this helps.  EWH

[funandgunfla]

what are the symptoms of urethritis??  will I know for sure if I have it?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

The syptoms (symptoms) of urethritis are urethral (penile) burning on urination and/or discharge from the penis.  Occasionallly but not ofter, urethritis can be asymptomatic.  While I doubt that you have urethritis or any STD, that is why I suggested  you get checked,  EWH