Aa
Could this really be herpes?
I have been in a monogamous relationship for the past year with my spouse. And both of us have been tested regularly in the past for STD's and cleared. This past Tuesday (May 24) I noticed 3 bumps on the head of my penis, I immediately assumed it was just irritation as I have been very diligent with testing and have been in a monogamous relationship for a year however I work right beside a walk in clinic so I thought why not get it checked.
The doctor examined me very briefly and told me that it looked like herpes! Needless to say I was in absolute shock.
I have absolutely no pain or discomfort, no swollen glands, no fever or flu like symptoms ( I feel 100% healthy with the exception of the three little bumps on my penis head, and I will admit that they looked like small blisters with some redness surrounding them) For these reasons I understand why the doctor would think about herpes however it seems absolutely impossible; I have had no new partners in a year and I have absolutely no other symptoms with the exception of the 3 small bumps/blisters/sores which popped almost immediately without pain. The doctor prescribed me Valtrax and I have taken it however I have not had any affect to the drugs nor do I feel any different or see any real change in the affected area. As a side note I had a lot of sex the 4 days leading up to Tuesday (the day of discovery)
I am so confused and really scared, I have tried to practise safe sex and be a good person, and now I have a doctor telling me he is 90% sure that I have herpes after a 1 minute exam.
Please help me and shed some light on my situation I am in disbelief and the doctor was unwilling to answer my questions regarding other possible scenarios than herpes.
The doctor examined me very briefly and told me that it looked like herpes! Needless to say I was in absolute shock.
I have absolutely no pain or discomfort, no swollen glands, no fever or flu like symptoms ( I feel 100% healthy with the exception of the three little bumps on my penis head, and I will admit that they looked like small blisters with some redness surrounding them) For these reasons I understand why the doctor would think about herpes however it seems absolutely impossible; I have had no new partners in a year and I have absolutely no other symptoms with the exception of the 3 small bumps/blisters/sores which popped almost immediately without pain. The doctor prescribed me Valtrax and I have taken it however I have not had any affect to the drugs nor do I feel any different or see any real change in the affected area. As a side note I had a lot of sex the 4 days leading up to Tuesday (the day of discovery)
I am so confused and really scared, I have tried to practise safe sex and be a good person, and now I have a doctor telling me he is 90% sure that I have herpes after a 1 minute exam.
Please help me and shed some light on my situation I am in disbelief and the doctor was unwilling to answer my questions regarding other possible scenarios than herpes.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
The pictures are the internet are always way worse than most people experience, just for the record.
Again, the antibody test is your best bet now.
Terri
Again, the antibody test is your best bet now.
Terri
They were very small and hard to distinguish between bumps and blisters but lets just say blisters. I googled "candida balanitis" and it looked a lot like that just less severe than those cases...as I was saying only three small ones, they are now unraised and quite red. I don't believe my girlfriend had a yeast infection recently however she did experience some bleeding a few weeks back.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Men can get bumps on the head of the penis for many reasons. In my experience, the most common one is fungal infections - their partner gets a yeast infection and then guys get what is known as candida balanitis - yeast on the head of their penis.
I am a little confused - when you first wrote to me, you described these as bumps - now you are describing them as blisters. Are they like water blisters?
The bumps on the shaft are very likely hair follicles, whether they have hair coming out of them or not.
And yes, if you indeed do have herpes on your penis, it could be HSV 1 from receiving oral sex. What needs to happen is a swab test, preferrably PCR, from these bumps, but I worry that its a little late for that now. The antibody test is your next best bet.
Terri
I am a little confused - when you first wrote to me, you described these as bumps - now you are describing them as blisters. Are they like water blisters?
The bumps on the shaft are very likely hair follicles, whether they have hair coming out of them or not.
And yes, if you indeed do have herpes on your penis, it could be HSV 1 from receiving oral sex. What needs to happen is a swab test, preferrably PCR, from these bumps, but I worry that its a little late for that now. The antibody test is your next best bet.
Terri
If this is not herpes, what could it be ( are there any other reasons a man would get blisters on his penis, it is skin after all and there is absolutely no pain or other symptoms). If it is HSV1 do I technically have genital herpes or a coldsore on my genitals (will these return)? I am so confused,
I still have no other symptoms or blisters. There are some tiny little bumps on my penile shaft however they mainly have hairs coming out of them and are not raised or fluid filled, I am pretty sure they have been there forever.
I have not had any prior experience with these marks or any new sexual partners in a long time.
Please try to give me some answers as best you can
-Worried and puzzled
I still have no other symptoms or blisters. There are some tiny little bumps on my penile shaft however they mainly have hairs coming out of them and are not raised or fluid filled, I am pretty sure they have been there forever.
I have not had any prior experience with these marks or any new sexual partners in a long time.
Please try to give me some answers as best you can
-Worried and puzzled
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
That's pretty shocking, actually! The CDC in its formal documents regarding diagnosing herpes says visual diagnosis should not be used, only lab tests and only lab tests that can distinguish HSV 1 from HSV 2. My advice would be to get your old STD testing records to be certain that herpes testing was done in the past. Then, if it wasn't, get a type specific IgG antibody test for HSV 1 and 2. It could be herpes, though I rarely see it only on the head of the penis, but you probably want to know for sure now. You can do this testing on the internet without the aid of a provider. I like healthcheckusa.com.
I wonder how often this happens to other people who don't decide to post a question on the internet and just live with this possible wrong diagnosis for years. Good for you for going the extra step and checking up on this.
Terri
I wonder how often this happens to other people who don't decide to post a question on the internet and just live with this possible wrong diagnosis for years. Good for you for going the extra step and checking up on this.
Terri
Not to discredit the doctor, but he was very young, asked me very few questions, and examined me very briefly. This was at a regular walk in clinic not an STD specific facility
You are reading content posted in the Herpes Forum
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Millions of people are diagnosed with STDs in the U.S. each year.
STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
