Rash on penis

[worriedaaargh]

Hi there, I had very risky sex with a south Asian (i'm guessing) sex worker recently (wore a condom but don't remember how it ended, could have split??!!) and 2.5 days later suddenly developed a small, non itchy patch just under my penis head on the left. Within a couple of hours a couple of tiny white lesions appeared, again non itchy. I quickly developed a mild fever too though I'm not sure if this was brought on by sheer panic. (I often get hot around the head when panicked).

I was certain based on my research that it must be herpes, though I had it examined and the doctor said it didn't look like Herpes but they gave me Herpes treatment anyway. I'm awaiting the results of a swab. Within 36 hours of the Herpes treatment the rash vanished. The fever seemed to ease by the morning. I also had tingling toes the day after the rash appeared, though I was sitting cross legged which does tend to cut off blood to the feet.

I'm now terrified that this rash and fever could be uber early ARS. However many times I've read that ARS simply doesn't happen that early, I cannot rid myself of the idea that because i have such a strong immune system (haven't been ill for about 7-8 years before this) that my body is developing antibodies early.

Could this symptoms be from the PEP instead? What else could it be?

Thanks in advance.

[worriedaaargh]

That is an immensely reassuring answer, thank you HowardH. Sorry to be disrespectful but might I ask what credentials you have or, if not, where you've read all this?

I find it hard to believe that a reaction to the condom would take 2.5 days to appear... The fact that a rash is there makes me believe that the condom MUST have broken. The other person was also transgender, which combined with their ethnicity means the risk is incredibly high and warrants PEP from what I've read (and I've done nothing but read this stuff for several days now).

Thanks again!

[HowardH]

Most penile rashes aren't due to any STD, and no STD (or HIV) would cause the leg tingling -- and anyway, it sounds like you have an obvious explanation for that symptom. Given how quickly the penile rash developed, I would guess maybe an allergic reaction to latex, or perhaps to spermicide. It was too soon for herpes, doesn't sound like herpes, and since the doctor agreed, you can put aside that concern. In addition, herpes lesions would never clear up within 1-2 days, even with treatment. I would advise stopping the anti-HSV treatment.

There is also no way this is ARS, symptoms of which cannot start sooner than 7-10 days after exposure. There is no such thing as "uber early HIV", regardless of the strength of one's immune system). And the symptoms are wrong anyway. And you had protected sex. (You wouldn't have missed a broken condom.) Most experts would not have prescribed PEP in this situation. However, now that it has been started, any questions about it will have to go to the clinic or doctor who prescribed it. But I doubt it was the cause of the transient penile rash you had.