Hi and thanks for your work!
I'm a 28 year old male that has been sexually active with a number of partners (none of whom I know to have herpes, not that we've discussed the possibility), recently, and have been inconsistent in my use of protection. Four days ago I discovered a red sore (about the size of a pencil eraser) on the glans of my penis that is neither painful, itchy, weeping, nor raised. Also, I haven't experienced any other symptoms like fever, muscle ache, swollen lymph nodes, pain while urinating, etc. Still, it's the first time I've noticed a spot like this and, of course, my concern is that it is a herpes outbreak. I visited my doctor the day after the discovery and, after a very brief visual examination, he stated that it was, in fact, herpes. He didn't order any tests for it, but wrote a prescription for an antiviral and made plenty of refills available.
The confidence with which he diagnosed me makes it seem unlikely that it could be something else but, based on the online research I've been conducting (oh, amateur online medical research!), it seems like herpes usually presents itself with more symptoms than the one I'm experiencing. I know that every individual will experience different symptoms with different severity, or no symptoms at all, but I'm wondering if you think that my doctor, based on a quick glance at the sore, could have jumped to his conclusion too quickly. Are there any other things that could be responsible for the red spot?
Thanks a lot for your response to my specific question and for your contribution, in general, to this great resource!