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Question About Potential Syphilis Symptom

In my area there has been a Syphilis outbreak with 124% increase in reported cases.

I've had a few risky encounters and tested positive in the past for GC and Chlamydia. I test for HIV every three months and just tested negative once again yesterday.

About last month I noticed these two round swellings around my penis. One on the side of the shaft and the other was located right above where the shaft begins.

They were a noticeable size. They felt very hard in nature, almost like a minor lump that I could actually grab with my fingers right under the skin.

The one above my shaft eventually burst on top and was oozing puss. I basically squeezed the puss out which flattened it. Before I could even have time to go to a doctor, they went away on their own.

I called an STD counselor and explained my story, but once I started explained the puss - he practically cut me off and said - 'son, if the swelling was filled with puss it's not syphilis, it could be another STD - but not the one you're concerned about.'

I hope someone can shed some light and just confirm if what this person said was true, because I've been misdiagnosed in the past (like when I was told by a doctor that I had a simple UTI when it was actually GC).
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Avatar universal
Hi Dave.  I've been reading these forums because I had a risky encounter recently.  I wanted to confirm something: Are you saying that the only way to get syphillis is through open sores?  You can't get it from receiving oral sex, for example, unless there is an open sore in her mouth and on your penis?
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1 Comments
Correct. If someone has syphilis the only way his/her partner will get it is when the syphilis sore(s) are rubbeded against fragile skin or a wound. And even in that case on 30% gets it then. Also the mouth is quite hostile against std's so therefore the chance with oral sex to get an std is much smaller than with unprotected anal or vaginal sex.
Avatar universal
I test every three months, not every month.
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3149845 tn?1506627771
COMMUNITY LEADER
Hi, the doctor is correct that a syphilis sore doesnot contain puss and to contract syphilis there needs to be an open sore on one person and an open sore on the other for the bacteria to enter.
Why are you testing for HIV every month?
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