need help after sex overseas!!!!

Hi . Firstly thank god for these forums,a donation will be following.

During the last 10 months i have kinda been living it up a bit. I have travelled and had sex with prostitutes in Thailand and the Czech Republic. I always had protected sex and i am not aware that a condom failed at any point, the only unprotected parts were hand to genital contact with me receiving the stimulation. i have now met someone i would like a relationship with however i have a couple of problems.

1. i have an ache in the testicles even though i tested negative in a test done 6 weeks after i got home i have no discharge,although i do remember a pulling sensation just before the ache started when i leant forward then the ache started.This has been going on for about 5 months now could the test for chlamydia be wrong and how often are they wrong i.e if you recommend a retest how could i trust that result? is it only chlam/gonn that cause testicle aches in STD's?

2. near the opening of the uretha i have a small red mark that may have been there a long time and i never noticed, it is smooth and when i rub my fingers over the head of the penis you cant feel any abnormality. is this worth worrying about and what could it be?

3. How long would you have to wait after sex to be tested for HIV,Syphillis (syphilis) and Hepatitas B to get a reliable result and what would be the likliehood of catching these through sex with a condom?

4. i live in the uk would this affect the accuracy of any tests done,i.e are we behind the U.S in technology in testing for STD's?

Thanks for any advice

Jack

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

1, 2) Neither your testicular aching or an unchanging red mark on the penis suggests any STD.  3) The tests for HIV, HBV, and syphilis all are uniformly positive within 4-6 weeks of acquiring infection.  4) STD services in the UK are excellent and testing technology is equivalent to the U.S., perhaps superior in some settings.  (The specialty is called genitourinary medicine, not STD.)

If in doubt about any of this, go to one of the many excellent GUM clinics, found in all the medium to larger metropolitan areas, several in London.  The care will be excellent and under NHS, cost shouldn't be an issue.

Good luck--  HHH, MD

[jack_taylor]

Sorry i meant ask as well,should i be worried about the hand to genital contact that was unprotected? - Thanks Jack

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

No.  See many other threads on this topic.

HHH, MD