8 Days Clear - need to test?

[BK_SA]

Hi Doc,

I am a gay man who hooked up with another man who I have been with before (a sort of casual thing), and that being said, we only engage in oral sex and never anal. So I know I'm only at risk of NGU & gonorrhea.

Last Tuesday we got together and performed oral sex on each other and I think the reason I'm feeling anxious this time is because I'm going on vacation on Saturday!

So it has been about 8 days since we were together and I've had no discharge and no pain while urinating. I even urinated in a cup this morning after i woke up to check and my urine wasnt cloudy. My penis head is a little red, but it's been that way ever since I got over a yeast infection from pimple antibiotics last year. Yesterday I noticed discomfort in my bladder/pelvis area and urinated frequently but it could be down to anxiety and a lot to drink in the day (2 coffees, fruit juice, 4 glasses water and a cranberry juice).

I have not gone for testing as where I live there are very very few sexual health clinics, government health is not good and std testing is done with the GP and is expensive.

So 8 days "clear", should I test or just go and enjoy the holiday as by now something would have manifested?

Thanks

[Edward W Hook, MD]

No, chlamydia is a bacteria.  NGU is what is called a "syndrome".  Syndromes are clinically recognizable conditions (to trained health care providers) which can often be caused by a number of different organisms.   NGU following oral sex is almost never caused by chalmydia but other bacteria do.  NGU can be acquired through receipt of oral sex.  EWH

[BK_SA]

Thank Doc,

I'm a touch confused about NGU. Am I correct in my understanding that it is caused by the same bacteria that causes chlamydia as well as other bacteria forms? As chlamydia is rarely transmitted via oral sex, the chlamydia-type NGU rarely occurs - and that's the serious kind? The other kinds are less serious? Lastly, is NGU spread by receiving oral sex or giving?

Thanks

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to the Forum.  following oral sex as your only exposure an being asymptomatic, the likelyhood that you have an STD of any sort is very low but not zero (sorry).  It would be hard to put a number on this but I would guess somewhere in the range of less than 1% probability.   Testing, of course is your decision, but I doubt that there is much to be gained by testing at this time.

Anxiety can certainly lead to increased urination.

The term discharge should be qualified a bit. What is really meant is ABNORMAL discharge since all men produce small amounts of genital secretions which vary over time and can be detected if one squeezes or manipulate the penis enough.  Beyond that, discharge can be quite variable and thus if one has an abnormal discharge, it may be normal variation or it may be a problem.  Testing is warranted in such situations.

Hope this helps.  EWH

[BK_SA]

Sorry Doc, could you also define discharge?

I'm not circumcised, so its never really 100% dry down there. After I shower and dry, I can still produce a tiny amount of liquid from the urethra if I squeeze.
Not experiencing anything that stains my underwear, or is visible leaking from the foreskin.

Thanks