herpes worry, no rest for several months

[cc13]

ok, right to the point. i am a 19 year old male.

The first time I had sex was July 9th of 2006, two diffrent times with two diffrent lady's. Both times protected, with a condom, both times vaginal, only once oral with a comdom, both times it did not last more than 5 minutes. this was at the beach, on vacation, got back home on the 14th of the same month, it was a friday, and started to feel sick fever, kinda like a cold. I went to the doctor on monday the 17th, and she told me it was just an infection in my throat, i explain my worries and she said no to worry at this time I had no discomfort on my genitals, I took a three day dose of antibiotics 500mg of Athryzomicin(sp?) and the fever went away, and i felt better, except that the tuesday the 18th i started to feel burning in my genital area, more on my penis, i never noticed any bumps, blisters anything like that. Saturday the 23th, 14 days after exposure I took a herpes select HSV-2 IGG test was negative with 0.09, Hsv1 i can't remember the right number but it was negative aswell. the burning did not stop until mid Agust, i never noticed any bumps or blisters just burning. Then again september 16th I started to feel the burning sensation Again, except this time it affected more my testicles, and then my penis it lasted until october the first week off, again only burinig I checked all the time like crazy for Blisters or open sores. I have always had these kinda like skin tags but they have been there since ever. again i started to feel sick again kinda like a cold, so worried I took an HIV test ELISA, on the 16th of october, negative. Yesterday the feeling is starting to come back the discomfort of burning kinda on my penis, and this time I found a small bump on the right bottoom side of my testicles, it has not changed much since yesterday, no pain or discomfort, and it has not turned into an open sore. Also I have been stressed for about 7 months, and many many other worries. My questions?

1. How likely is it that I have Herpes?
2. should I get another herpes select test done?
3. Does any of my symptoms sounld like an STD?
4. recurrent herpes outbreaks, is there only ONE bump or more than one?
5. could this all be due to stress and anxiety?

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

To start, you have fallen into a common trap.  Because online sources describe burning pain or tingling as symptoms of herpes, anxious people get the impression that those sympoms along may be signs of herpes. They are not. Tingling and burning are symptoms of herpes ONLY as part of the discomfort people feel when they have actual herpes lesions:  blisters, open sores, etc.  Sometimes there is brief tingling for 1-2 days (never longer) before an outbreak occurs--the "prodrome".

So the symptoms you describe definitely are not due to herpes--period, full stop.  And that is further proved by the negative blood test in October, 3 months after your sexual event.  (And on top of all that, the chance of getting herpes while wearing a condom is very low anyway.)  Putting it all together, there simply is no chance that you genital herpes.

1) Zero.  2) No.  3) No.  4) Irrelevant; you don't have herpes.  5) Absolutely yes. Anxiety is by far the most likely cause of your symptoms.  The fact that you even raise the possibility is significant:  as I have said many times on this forum, when a person suspects his or her own symptoms are due to anxiety, s/he probably is almost always right.

Mellow out, just live with your insignificant symptoms.  They'll probably just fade if you ignore them and put herpes out of your mind.  You can be 100% confident they are not due to any STD or other illness that can ever harm you or a future sex partner.

Good luck--  HHH, MD

[sparkeler]

You have no chance of contracting herpes from the 2 sex episodes you engaged in.  THEY WERE PROTECTED.  Anyways, even if it was unprotected, the chance that either girl had herpes and was shedding the virus at the exact time she was having sex with you, is unlikely.  It is possible that either could have been, but since you wore a condom, you have nothing to worry about.  Perhaps anxiety over losing your virginity?  Chill out.

[cc13]

the test done in october was an HIV test doctor. However I do no think that would change your responce, Thank you.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

You're right, it doesn't change anything; I think the likelihood you have herpes is so low that repeat testing isn't necessary.  But if the possibility weighs on your mind and a final negative test would help you get through this, you could be retested at any time now.  You can expect a negative result.

HHH, MD