Urethra pain from unprotected oral sex

[cyber29]

To Dr. HHH

I recently received unprotected oral sex from a woman 2 1/2 weeks ago.  After about 3 days I started to experience redness and pain at the tip of my penis as well as within the urethra.  My groin felt as though it was also swollen as well as some tenderness on the left side just above my penis.  I have noticed that when I try a look in to the urethra tip, it seems to be little white in color toward one side, I am not sure if I would call them bumbs or not.  
I do not have any discharge, no different color or smell in my urine, and I do not have any kind of bumps or rash on or around my penis.  I have been to the health care clinic a week after the act and was tested for gonorea, clamydia (chlamydia) and syphillus, the results will not be back for another week.  I also went to the doctor this past Tuesday and he also performed these tests as well as for herpes and Hiv.  I know these will be too soon but he did them anyway.  The doctor stated that everything in my genital area to him looked fine, but he gave me a very quick exam and I am just not very confindent in his assesment.  
My biggest problem right now is the constant burning sensation within the urethra.  Also, the pain seems to be more prominent when I am sitting for a while.
My biggest concern is that I may of contacted herpes or hiv.  I appreciate your time and your expertise.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Let's review your situation.  Your risk of acquiring any STD from receipt of oral sex is low.  Oral sex is an inefficient way to transmit STDs.  Even if your partner had an STD (any STD and it is likely she did not), most exposures do not lead to infection.  Of the bacterial STDs only gonorrhea and nongonococal 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) of the sort your report but if you had them, it is likely that the infection would have been apparent at one of your doctor visits.  If you had acquired herpes, lesions would have been apparent by now as well - nearly all herpes infections show themselves as lesions about 3-10 days after exposure.  As for HIV, again, chances are that your partner did not have HIV and if she did, the quoted estimates of risk are that you have a less than 1 in 10,000 chance of getting HIV fro a single exposure, IF she was infected.  Some experts think that even that low risk is too high and that there is no risk from oral sex.

In summary, your risk is very low.  I suspect your tests will be negative.  I think you may need to work with your doctor to explain your urethral pain.  Perhaps it is something else such as a kidney stone or other process.  STDs, including HIV are almost certainly not the cause.  EWH