Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum. ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
STDs (Expert Forum)
Now What?
Answered by
University of Washington
Seattle - WA
This forum does not cover AIDS/HIV issues. This forum is for questions and support regarding STD issues such as: Chlamydia, Crabs (pubic lice scabies), Gonorrhea, Hepatitis (viral), Herpes, HPV, Molluscum Contagiosum, PID, Rectal Infections, Syphilis, Trichomonas, Warts, Yeast Infection.
IMPORTANT
This forum is limited to questions about STDs other than HIV/AIDS. For questions about HIV prevention, or if you have general questions about safe sex (e.g., condoms, how to protect yourself from HIV and STDs), please visit the HIV Prevention and Safe Sex Forum
Some of the most common types of questions concern the risk of HIV or STD after a particular sexual exposure, and about symptoms that might or might not be due to HIV. If your question is along these lines, please visit the HIV Prevention and Safe Sex Forum.
This forum is limited to questions about STDs other than HIV/AIDS. For questions about HIV prevention, or if you have general questions about safe sex (e.g., condoms, how to protect yourself from HIV and STDs), please visit the HIV Prevention and Safe Sex Forum
Some of the most common types of questions concern the risk of HIV or STD after a particular sexual exposure, and about symptoms that might or might not be due to HIV. If your question is along these lines, please visit the HIV Prevention and Safe Sex Forum.
Now What?
by WhatNow?, Oct 07, 2007 11:22AM
I had intercourse with a prostitute nearly a year ago and I've been having odd symptoms on my penis. I've been having discoloration on the head and pain on the head as well. The discoloration seems to getting worse in my eyes.
I saw a urologist and a dermatologist. The dermatologist said that it didn't look like warts or anything else. He said it was normal for someone as dark as me to have a dark penis. I'm not an idiot, I know that. But he hasn't seen the change my penis has gone through for the last year. He put me on desonide cream. He didn't look at the penis closely. He took a glance at it and said "we're done here. Nothing wrong."
My urologist said that he doesn't know why I am in pain and didn't see any significant discoloration. Again, it is hard for people who haven't seen my penis go through these changes to pick up on them. And I swear I am not looking too closely. It's visible to my, and my current partner's, naked eye. The pain is not in my head. Sometimes I am pain free and other times I am not.
I've had a full STD test (everything except HPV). My question is, should I be worried about Penile Cancer? I seem to have similar symptoms in complete discoloration and change in skin texture. And couple with the pain it doesn't seem out of the realm of possibility. How do I get a doctor to take me seriously and offer me a test (or at the very least a biopsy)?
That prostitute was my first sexual experience and I wore a condom. What are the chances of catching multiple strains of the virus? If the vaginal sex was terribly brief (30 seconds).
Is there anything else I should be worried about. I'm 100% positive that something is wrong with my penis. I don't understand why doctors won't take me seriously. I know my body. I've been having diarrhea every since that day nearly a year ago. Any link between the two? I've seen a gastro as well and there are no colon problems.
I saw a urologist and a dermatologist. The dermatologist said that it didn't look like warts or anything else. He said it was normal for someone as dark as me to have a dark penis. I'm not an idiot, I know that. But he hasn't seen the change my penis has gone through for the last year. He put me on desonide cream. He didn't look at the penis closely. He took a glance at it and said "we're done here. Nothing wrong."
My urologist said that he doesn't know why I am in pain and didn't see any significant discoloration. Again, it is hard for people who haven't seen my penis go through these changes to pick up on them. And I swear I am not looking too closely. It's visible to my, and my current partner's, naked eye. The pain is not in my head. Sometimes I am pain free and other times I am not.
I've had a full STD test (everything except HPV). My question is, should I be worried about Penile Cancer? I seem to have similar symptoms in complete discoloration and change in skin texture. And couple with the pain it doesn't seem out of the realm of possibility. How do I get a doctor to take me seriously and offer me a test (or at the very least a biopsy)?
That prostitute was my first sexual experience and I wore a condom. What are the chances of catching multiple strains of the virus? If the vaginal sex was terribly brief (30 seconds).
Is there anything else I should be worried about. I'm 100% positive that something is wrong with my penis. I don't understand why doctors won't take me seriously. I know my body. I've been having diarrhea every since that day nearly a year ago. Any link between the two? I've seen a gastro as well and there are no colon problems.
Doctor's Answer
by H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D., Oct 07, 2007 05:07PM
, Oct 07, 2007 05:07PM
I stopped reading for this initial response after "I saw a urologist and a dermatologist". It is almost impossible that an online expert can tell what you have if direct examination by such experts didn't come up with answers that satisfy you.
Now I have read the rest of the question. Your symptoms do not suggest STD. The pain sounds psychological in origin, not only because a physical cause cannot be found, but because such symptoms are in fact typical of those associated with genitally focused anxiety. If a dermatologist and urologist say your skin is normal, it is normal; any "changes" you see cannot be due to some undiagnosed medical condition. You don't say your age, but the appearnce of penile skin changes as people get older; the skin looks different in 20 year olds vs 30 year olds vs 40 year olds and so on. Perhaps that's all that's going on. And in the very unlikely chance that they are, it certainly is not an STD. Stop examining yourself so closely; the fact that you are doing so is itself evidence of a likely psychological origin. And penile cancer is definitely not a concern.
Time to let it go. Even if you are convinced something is physically wrong, at least you can be certain that it is trivial, without any chance of being anything that can ever harm you or a sex partner.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
Now I have read the rest of the question. Your symptoms do not suggest STD. The pain sounds psychological in origin, not only because a physical cause cannot be found, but because such symptoms are in fact typical of those associated with genitally focused anxiety. If a dermatologist and urologist say your skin is normal, it is normal; any "changes" you see cannot be due to some undiagnosed medical condition. You don't say your age, but the appearnce of penile skin changes as people get older; the skin looks different in 20 year olds vs 30 year olds vs 40 year olds and so on. Perhaps that's all that's going on. And in the very unlikely chance that they are, it certainly is not an STD. Stop examining yourself so closely; the fact that you are doing so is itself evidence of a likely psychological origin. And penile cancer is definitely not a concern.
Time to let it go. Even if you are convinced something is physically wrong, at least you can be certain that it is trivial, without any chance of being anything that can ever harm you or a sex partner.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
It's hard for me to put this behind me when I know there is something wrong with me.
Does a one month course of PEP speed up the process of development of penile cancer?
Why is penile cancer definitely not a concern?
Just read the reply. I understand what you are saying but how come when I google Penile Cancer, everyone is saying that HPV is a high risk for developing penile cancer? Maybe only some RARE strains of HPV cause penile cancer and that is why all those men you speak of haven't developed it.
Anyway, this will be my last post. You say visible abnormality occurs years before it becomes dangerous. Are you saying that it can be treated without a penectomy?
Just curios. I am looking to seek mental help.
"Penile cancer occurs in about 1 man in 100,000 in the United States.
Penile cancer is very rare in North America and Europe. It accounts for about 0.2% of cancers in men and 0.1% of cancer deaths in men in the United States."
Considering that just about every guy who's had more than a couple of partners has had HPV, well, I think you can see how truly minimal your risks really are.
I think you might really benefit from counseling (good for you for realizing this and taking that step!), and possibly meds as well. Ask your doctor what s/he thinks.