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)
syphilis or herpes
Answered by
Edward W Hook, MD - HIV Prevention, stds
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.
syphilis or herpes
by randijjs, May 31, 2008 12:10PM
I had unprotected sex 4-17-08. On 4-24 I started with a tingling in the urethra and a small chancre which is still present but is painless. I went and got a full 7 panel blood test on 4-30. All results came back negative. But the forum recommended I also get a swab test. I went to the local Health Departmant and got a swab test. Everything came back negative again, and the symptoms were getting milder. I figured a lot of what I was experiencing was anxiety.
Well, I got back together with my long term partner a few weeks ago and we had unprotected sex on 5-24. This was my first time having sex since 4-17. Well yesterday 5-30, she called me to let me know she was sore from the sex we had, she also mentioned a symptom the is exactly what I had, and knot i her stomach or intergestion.
I have been reading, cuold I get to negative test for syphilis, or maybe the health departmant swab was only for Herpes and Clap.
Well, I got back together with my long term partner a few weeks ago and we had unprotected sex on 5-24. This was my first time having sex since 4-17. Well yesterday 5-30, she called me to let me know she was sore from the sex we had, she also mentioned a symptom the is exactly what I had, and knot i her stomach or intergestion.
I have been reading, cuold I get to negative test for syphilis, or maybe the health departmant swab was only for Herpes and Clap.
Doctor's Answer
by Edward W Hook, MD, May 31, 2008 01:08PM
, May 31, 2008 01:08PM
Several things in your post confuse me.
I'm not sure if you still have the lesion you mention or when you were tested at the Health Department. Did you ask or did they tell you what yo were being tested for? Have you gotten results? What did they say you did not have?
In addition, I'm not sure what your 7 panel blood test was testing for. You should ask? Also was it done at the Helath Department or elsewhere? Syphilis in most places is diagnosed with a blood test which is typically positive within 3 weeks or so of exposure and within a few days of the appearance of a lesion) but not a "7 panel blood test" that I know of- this sounds more like a test of your blood chemistry which would not help to diagnose syphilis.
You also state that you noted a "chancre" on or around 4-24 and seem to indicate that now, 6 weeks later it is still present. Herpes would not do that and if it was present when you were seen at the Health Department, it would have led to further testing.
Syphilis is also a relatively rare disease (perhaps 10,000 new cases across the U.S. among 330 million people) which occurs primarily among certain subsets of the population such as men who have sex with other men.
My guess that the testing at the Health Department was primarily for gonorrhea and chlamydia although, if they did a blood test, you were likely tested for syphilis and perhaps HIV as well.
More information please. So far, nothing you've said sounds too worrisome but I can say more once i hear more from you. EWH
I'm not sure if you still have the lesion you mention or when you were tested at the Health Department. Did you ask or did they tell you what yo were being tested for? Have you gotten results? What did they say you did not have?
In addition, I'm not sure what your 7 panel blood test was testing for. You should ask? Also was it done at the Helath Department or elsewhere? Syphilis in most places is diagnosed with a blood test which is typically positive within 3 weeks or so of exposure and within a few days of the appearance of a lesion) but not a "7 panel blood test" that I know of- this sounds more like a test of your blood chemistry which would not help to diagnose syphilis.
You also state that you noted a "chancre" on or around 4-24 and seem to indicate that now, 6 weeks later it is still present. Herpes would not do that and if it was present when you were seen at the Health Department, it would have led to further testing.
Syphilis is also a relatively rare disease (perhaps 10,000 new cases across the U.S. among 330 million people) which occurs primarily among certain subsets of the population such as men who have sex with other men.
My guess that the testing at the Health Department was primarily for gonorrhea and chlamydia although, if they did a blood test, you were likely tested for syphilis and perhaps HIV as well.
More information please. So far, nothing you've said sounds too worrisome but I can say more once i hear more from you. EWH
