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Bump and redness on penile shaft.
Hello Doctor,
First a little background. 31 year old male have had multiple partners/girlfriends. Last tested for STD March of 2012 everything came back negative including IgG for HSV-1 and 2. I've had vaginal sex since then with 3 female friends, 2 who I know are STD free because they were tested right before having intercourse with me. My main concerns are my last two encounters. The first was roughly a month and a half ago where I did have protected vaginal intercourse and brief unprotected oral sex (oral sex lasted probably under 5 minutes total). The second and my last encounter was very brief (probably under 2 minutes) unprotected oral sex with a girl I know but am unsure of her sexual history. My area of concerns are as follows. Approximately 23 days after the last unprotected oral sex encounter I developed a small bump at the top of my penile shaft right were it starts to connect with the head after masturbation. The bump was slightly raised, somewhat red (as was the skin around the bump), didn't hurt, itch, blister, or turn into a sore. After about the 3 days the bump was just about completely gone although a little redness can currently still be seen (now 6 days after bump first appeared). Also, the bump and redness did appear roughly an hour after masturbating with no lube and it appeared in just about the exact spot my thumb was located while going through the process. My questions.
1. Does this bump sound like herpes? Would a herpes blister come and go so quickly?
2. Is 23 days too long for a herpes outbreak to appear from the last encounter? Everything I've read says that after two weeks you're pretty much in the clear.
3. Is brief unprotected oral sex with no sores present considered high risk for contracting HSV-1 genitally?
4. Could this bump just be irritation from masturbation and I'm overreacting?
5. If it were you, would you not worry and continue to have sex with you current girlfriend?
Thank you for your help.
First a little background. 31 year old male have had multiple partners/girlfriends. Last tested for STD March of 2012 everything came back negative including IgG for HSV-1 and 2. I've had vaginal sex since then with 3 female friends, 2 who I know are STD free because they were tested right before having intercourse with me. My main concerns are my last two encounters. The first was roughly a month and a half ago where I did have protected vaginal intercourse and brief unprotected oral sex (oral sex lasted probably under 5 minutes total). The second and my last encounter was very brief (probably under 2 minutes) unprotected oral sex with a girl I know but am unsure of her sexual history. My area of concerns are as follows. Approximately 23 days after the last unprotected oral sex encounter I developed a small bump at the top of my penile shaft right were it starts to connect with the head after masturbation. The bump was slightly raised, somewhat red (as was the skin around the bump), didn't hurt, itch, blister, or turn into a sore. After about the 3 days the bump was just about completely gone although a little redness can currently still be seen (now 6 days after bump first appeared). Also, the bump and redness did appear roughly an hour after masturbating with no lube and it appeared in just about the exact spot my thumb was located while going through the process. My questions.
1. Does this bump sound like herpes? Would a herpes blister come and go so quickly?
2. Is 23 days too long for a herpes outbreak to appear from the last encounter? Everything I've read says that after two weeks you're pretty much in the clear.
3. Is brief unprotected oral sex with no sores present considered high risk for contracting HSV-1 genitally?
4. Could this bump just be irritation from masturbation and I'm overreacting?
5. If it were you, would you not worry and continue to have sex with you current girlfriend?
Thank you for your help.
Thanks for your input. I do appreciate it. Hope you have a nice holiday season.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Your thinking is correct. Both the vigor of the contact and the predilection of HSV-1 for the oral area would make acquiring oral herpes more likely than genital in this situation.
That should wind up this discussion. Take care.
That should wind up this discussion. Take care.
Any thoughts on my rationale Dr. Handsfield? Don't mean to be a pain but I'm just trying to make sense of this so I can move on.
Dr. Handsfield, sorry to bother but I did forget to mention one thing and you have my word this will be my last post. I was wondering if you would agree with my rationale on this. Before I received oral sex from my last encounter we did participate in very heavy kissing for a prolonged amount of time. Would it make sense that IF she did even have HSV-1 and was transmitting at the time without visible sores that I would be more likely to get symptoms on my lips than my penis? My thinking leads me to this since HSV-1 prefers to be located on or around the mouth and it only further confirms your response since I have not had any symptoms orally?
Thanks again Doc. I just want to be sure because I would never want to give anything to my girlfriend and 3 months is a long time to wait for blood test. I appreciate you help.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Well, that location is more compatible with herpes than I previously thought. But still, all the other factors are against it. I still would not be worried about herpes.
Thank you for your quick response Dr. Handsfield. I don't know if this will change your response at all but the bump was at the top of the penile shaft. It was at the top of the shaft where the skin starts to fold in when the penis head retracts after an erection. Would that change your judgment at all? Just want to be clear as possible.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the forum. Thanks for your question. Your situation is straightforward and so are the questions. I'll go straight to them.
1,2) Whatever the cause of the bump, it wasn't herpes. You've found some reliable sources in your online searching. As for timing 23 days indeed is too late. Initial herpes generally appears 3-5 days after exposure, and almost always within 2 weeks. You are also correct that herpes lesions don't clear up so rapidly -- usually at least a week, and typically 2-3 weeks for initial herpes. Finally, the location is wrong. HSV infections generally don't take unless the virus is massaged vigorously into susceptible tissues -- hence new genital herpes typically appears at the sites of maximum friction during sex. In your situation, that means the head of the penis or near it, not likely at the base.
3) Oral sex can transmit HSV-1 from mouth to a partner's genitals, but the risk for any particular exposure is low, probably on the order of one in a thousand (maybe even lower), especially in the absence of an overt cold sore.
4) I can't speculate on causes other than STD. The best bet is probably just a pimple or folliculitis (hair follicle infection).
5) Exactly right. My professional advice is exactly the same as my personal response would be, if I were in your situation: I would not be tested for HSV and would continue unprotected sex with my wife without worries about giving her herpes.
I hope this has been helpful. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
1,2) Whatever the cause of the bump, it wasn't herpes. You've found some reliable sources in your online searching. As for timing 23 days indeed is too late. Initial herpes generally appears 3-5 days after exposure, and almost always within 2 weeks. You are also correct that herpes lesions don't clear up so rapidly -- usually at least a week, and typically 2-3 weeks for initial herpes. Finally, the location is wrong. HSV infections generally don't take unless the virus is massaged vigorously into susceptible tissues -- hence new genital herpes typically appears at the sites of maximum friction during sex. In your situation, that means the head of the penis or near it, not likely at the base.
3) Oral sex can transmit HSV-1 from mouth to a partner's genitals, but the risk for any particular exposure is low, probably on the order of one in a thousand (maybe even lower), especially in the absence of an overt cold sore.
4) I can't speculate on causes other than STD. The best bet is probably just a pimple or folliculitis (hair follicle infection).
5) Exactly right. My professional advice is exactly the same as my personal response would be, if I were in your situation: I would not be tested for HSV and would continue unprotected sex with my wife without worries about giving her herpes.
I hope this has been helpful. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
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.
