worried about possible skin split during vaginal intercourse.

[highanxiety83]

  About four days ago i went to honduras on vacation to visit my girlfriend of three years. she is only my second partner.  last time all my test came back clear but the doctor could not figure out why it burned when i urinated after sex with her and i had dry peeling skin on my penis i thought maybe i had a yeast infection but he didn't agree the skin would crack sometimes it came and went over the course of last year. she never had a yeast infection so i have no idea what kind of fungal infection i have. he gave me cream for my skin but it didn't help. well fast forward to this week i went to see my girlfriend and her family we were drinking i started out with a condom then like an idiot i took it off. And we had sex four times. There was a little pain and when i checked my skin had a little split under the head of my penis. i put it behind me for the rest of my trip until two days later i had an upset stomach and pains for a day and it still hurts off and on but diarrhea only for one day but strangely i have been doing nothing but eating even though my stomach hurt.  Then while showering i notice where the split was there was a clear blister rubbed it and it popped. so all sorts of things started running through my head. then the next day i got another clear blister under the under side of my shaft. i rubbed it until it popped. they are a little sore. but no more blisters since then. but yesterday it started to burn when i urinated almost exactly like last time and the doctor couldn't find anything. And my skin is starting to flake. After sex i didn't wash right away until the next night i was traveling all day. I have not had any discharge that i notice but i did masturbated to see if it hurt it didn't to much. But i did notice some clear fluid still coming out an hour later until i urinated. No swollen lymph nodes or fever. I and so worried maybe it's herpes,chancroid or hiv what do you think my chances were for hiv. i know this was a very high risk encounter?

[highanxiety83]

Thank you for the fast response. Just thought that my two blisters def meant herpes i only had two not any more. One has clear fluid but that started yesterday after i masturbated again to see if the burning would stop. dumb idea i know only made my penis hurt. sorry for all the nervous questioning.  your right it's not a good idea to keep trying to diagnose myself. just reading up on ars freaked me out. i will try to see my doc tmw instead of thur. thanks again

[Edward W Hook, MD]

This sounds nothing like either the ARS or herpes.  What it sounds like is urethritis, i.e. gonorrhea, chlamydia or NGU.  To address this both you and your GF shoul be evaluated.  It is not an emergency although your symptoms may progress a bit over the next day or two.   Having an experience clinician who can take a look and orer necessary tests is the right way to approach this.  EWH

[highanxiety83]

Hi doctor i just wanted to ask you one more thing. i have been having a very low grade fever today and muscle. and i found a swollen painful lymph node in my groin on the left side. it burns when i pee also. I made a doctors appointment for thursday but if this is an emergency i should just go today or tmw. i talked to my gf and she agreed to get testing. my question is that this sounds a lot more like herpes symptoms than they do ars. am i correct? Just wanted an expert opinion until i get to the doc. Ars is more of a worry to me than herpes. thank you for your help.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

I agree, testing together is always a good thing.   eWH

[highanxiety83]

thank you i will go to the doc tomorrow and then talk to her. it would be a good idea to get tested together that way if everything is fine i wouldn't need to always worry myself so much. thanks again

[Edward W Hook, MD]

I would not worry abobut the skin split.  HIV should not be a concern, particularly if you have had the discussion and testing with your partner that I mentioned above - you cannot get HIV form a person who does not have it.  Based on what you say, if she has been tested and is negative,  and does not have other partners, you should not be concerned about HIV.  

Fungal skin infections do not need to be acquired from others- this remains a possiblity but you'll need to discuss with the doctor to come to a conclusion.   EWH

[highanxiety83]

she does not have any other partners i trust her. the fungal type infection may have started on my foot then spread but my doctor could never figure out what it was. or what was causing my burning urine problems he checked for std's at the time and found nothing. he told me that i might have prostate problems. It get's worse the more sweet's that i eat also on my hands. but other than that what are your thought's on my hiv risk. i am worried about my small skin split. There was a lot of vaginal fluid. i guess that put's me in the very high risk factor? i will try to see a doctor tomorrow.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome back to the Forum.  I have several thoughts about your problem that I'll be happy tp share with you but what you really need is to be examine by a knowledgable clinician- either an STD specialist such as you might see in an STD Clinic or a dermatologist who has experience in evaluation of recurring genital rashes.

That you had some discomfort after 4 sexual encounters over a short period is not suprising, chaffing can occur and cause this.  Simialrly, the appearance of the fissue an subsequent blistering may be a result of this as well.  If this all occurred within two days of sex is not suggestive or consistent with genital herpes or other STDs which typically take more than 4 days to appear.  It is also not suprising that the friction/irritation associated with masturbation might make this somewhat worse.  

My other suggestion is that you and your partner do need to discuss this and be checked for STDs, incluing HSV - I doubt that this is the problem but a thorough evaluation is the right way to approach this.  Does she have other partners?  Perhaps she uses a vaginal hygeine product or lubricant of some sort that is irritating to your skin.  


My other thought is that you may have a chronic dermatologic process that has a tendency to come and go (or get better or worse).  Such rashes are typically easily irritated and the involved skin is more fragile than normal skin.  Solving this may take some trial and error and repeated evaluation over time with the dermatologist.  Working with a single doctor whom you feel comfortable with is a better strategy than going from doctor to doctor since with each new docter it is appropriatge for them to start from the beginning.

I hope my comments are helpful.  EWH