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Do I have Herpes or something else?
Hello,
Here is my situation:
In the past 3 months, I have been pretty sexually actice. I've slept with 5 women. The first one in earlier september and the lastest one a week ago. All these encounters were protected except for oral sex.
I can't remember the exact date, but about 2 weeks ago I noticed a small pimple on my scrotum. I first dismissed it as being from shaving and didn't think anything of it. I picked at it and it became red and eventually scabed.
A few days later another pimple like red dot appeared next to it. Yesterday i noticed a small red patch on the other side of my scrotum. Not really like a pimple but like a layer of skin is missing. Last night I noticed 2 little pimple like skin colored dots appearing on the shaft of my penis. This morning they were red patches, I know have about 7 of them on my scrotum and penis shaft.
-They don't hurt at all, only itch a little bit
-There is no fluid in them, but sometimes the sore looks a little bit wet.
-I have no pain when urinating.
-I've been getting headaches on and off for the past couple of weeks, almost like a migrane. But I dont know if this has anything to do with it since I've had sinus headaches in the past.
-I sometimes feel the urge to urinate even when I don't have to.. But I've been urinating more than usually.
- I also have some red pimple sized dot under my pubic hair, but I'm pretty sure that is from shaving.
Do you think it is herpes or something else? I read that a yeast infection looks like herpes. I've had a yeast infection before where I had this white goo on the head of my penis. I dont have this now. Bur the head of my penis does have a large red patch.
Please give me your input dr.
I'm going to the clinic tomorrow.
Here is my situation:
In the past 3 months, I have been pretty sexually actice. I've slept with 5 women. The first one in earlier september and the lastest one a week ago. All these encounters were protected except for oral sex.
I can't remember the exact date, but about 2 weeks ago I noticed a small pimple on my scrotum. I first dismissed it as being from shaving and didn't think anything of it. I picked at it and it became red and eventually scabed.
A few days later another pimple like red dot appeared next to it. Yesterday i noticed a small red patch on the other side of my scrotum. Not really like a pimple but like a layer of skin is missing. Last night I noticed 2 little pimple like skin colored dots appearing on the shaft of my penis. This morning they were red patches, I know have about 7 of them on my scrotum and penis shaft.
-They don't hurt at all, only itch a little bit
-There is no fluid in them, but sometimes the sore looks a little bit wet.
-I have no pain when urinating.
-I've been getting headaches on and off for the past couple of weeks, almost like a migrane. But I dont know if this has anything to do with it since I've had sinus headaches in the past.
-I sometimes feel the urge to urinate even when I don't have to.. But I've been urinating more than usually.
- I also have some red pimple sized dot under my pubic hair, but I'm pretty sure that is from shaving.
Do you think it is herpes or something else? I read that a yeast infection looks like herpes. I've had a yeast infection before where I had this white goo on the head of my penis. I dont have this now. Bur the head of my penis does have a large red patch.
Please give me your input dr.
I'm going to the clinic tomorrow.
Dr. Handsfield, I have experienced a similar situation that Dr. Hook has commented on and I appreciate it.
I want to tell you your lengthy comment above is most informative and should be read by everyone with herpes questions.
Great job!
I want to tell you your lengthy comment above is most informative and should be read by everyone with herpes questions.
Great job!
Thanks DR.
I am going to the clinic tomorrow and I'll let you know what the doctor says.
I am going to the clinic tomorrow and I'll let you know what the doctor says.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Folliculitis itself would be unlikely in non-hairy areas like the head or tip of penis. But a garden variety pimple certainly is possible, especially in someone whose genital area skin may be colonized by staph or strep bacteria -- which might be a possibility. Folliculitis and staph/strep can behave as you describe, in terms of location and spread of the skin lesions. Herpes sores have highly variable levels of pain -- but this really doesn't matter. You must not focus on individual symptoms; it's the overall pattern that is important, and yours makes herpes very unlikely.
The most common cause of increased urinary urge in men, especially when concerned about STDs like herpes, is genitally focused anxiety.
It is time for you to stop trying to come to a diagnosis by online searching or forums. You need to see a health professional in person. You might need a prescription antibiotic, either by mouth or as a cream or ointment. I'll be happy to comment further if and when you report the result of your visit to a doctor or clinic, but won't have anything more to say until then. In the meantime, you can pretty much forget herpes or other STDs.
The most common cause of increased urinary urge in men, especially when concerned about STDs like herpes, is genitally focused anxiety.
It is time for you to stop trying to come to a diagnosis by online searching or forums. You need to see a health professional in person. You might need a prescription antibiotic, either by mouth or as a cream or ointment. I'll be happy to comment further if and when you report the result of your visit to a doctor or clinic, but won't have anything more to say until then. In the meantime, you can pretty much forget herpes or other STDs.
Sorry one more question,
what do you make of my frequent urge to urinate? I've noticed this the past 2 days and I haven't been drinking more than usually. Sometimes it just feels like I have to go urinate but the it just goes away.
what do you make of my frequent urge to urinate? I've noticed this the past 2 days and I haven't been drinking more than usually. Sometimes it just feels like I have to go urinate but the it just goes away.
Just a couple more questions:
Is it possible for folliculitis to pe on the penis shaft neat the tip of the penis on the foreskin where there is no hair?
Are herpes sores always painfull? Cause the ones I have are not sore at all.
And is it possible for folliculitis to spread in a large area, like to the other side of the scrotum? Mind you all the red bums and sores are all the left side while only one is on the right side of the scrotum.
Is it possible for folliculitis to pe on the penis shaft neat the tip of the penis on the foreskin where there is no hair?
Are herpes sores always painfull? Cause the ones I have are not sore at all.
And is it possible for folliculitis to spread in a large area, like to the other side of the scrotum? Mind you all the red bums and sores are all the left side while only one is on the right side of the scrotum.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Greetings. Thanks for your question and welcome to the forum.
The title to your question ("Do I have herpes or something else?") allows me to make a general comment intended to benefit all users who wonder if their atypical genital symptoms might be due to herpes. A lot has been written about "atypical" presentations of genital herpes and the nonspecific symptoms herpes can cause. However, the truth is that almost all cases of herpes cause highly typical symptoms. Herpes is always very unlikely if there are no genital blisters/sores that appear for at least several days; if symptoms come and go more often than every 1-2 months; if there is tingling, burning, or rash that involves wide areas of the genitals; if any of those symptoms occur all by themselves, without blisters/sores; or if blisters/sores keep recurring in more than one spot on or near the genitals. Almost all recurrent herpes outbreaks are in exactly the same place every time, give or take an inch. And the chance of herpes in such situations is even lower (generally zero) if an HSV blood test shows no evidence of infection with either HSV-1 or -2 3 months or more after onset of symptoms.
The "atypical" herpes that people talk about really are just mild but typical cases, or were entirely asymptomatic. For example, the person has newly diagnosed herpes that seems like a recurrent outbreaks or in absence of a new sex partner etc, and doesn't recall an initial outbreak. He or she then thinks back and realizes s/he had occasional genital itching or tingling in the past, and comes to believe that symptom also was herpes -- which often probably is not correct.
In addition to those comments, which I wrote before even reading your question beyond the title: initial herpes rarely involves the scrotum or other hair-bearing areas, but those are typical locations for folliculitis, pimples, or other things that can cause red bumps or pustules. If you look closely, maybe you'll see that some lesions have hairs emanating from them -- a sure sign against herpes. And for a new HSV infection to take, the virus usually has to be massaged into the tissues. Therefore, initial herpes usually involves the sites that receive maximum friction during sex -- in men, usually the penis itself (and only the penis), and not the groin, pubic area, scrotum, etc. And herpes doesn't cause red "patches" on the genital skin.
It is not true that yeast infection "looks like herpes". Because some symptoms are similar (e.g., genital itching), once in a while a woman with herpes believes she had a yeast infection -- but that's mostly because she didn't look closely enough at the sore area and therefore missed obvious blisters, sores, etc.
"White goo" on your penis suggest you are uncircumcised (yes?), and might have had minor inflammation under the foreskin (the medical term is balanitis). Increased hygiene for a few days, i.e. a soap and water wash a couple times a day with foreskin retracted, usually is all that's necessary.
Considering all these factors, it is very unlikely you have herpes. Of course, no distant expert can be certain, so this is no guarantee you don't have a highly atypical case -- or that you might have herpes plus something else. If the problem continues or recurs, see a heatlh care provider. But in the meantime, I think you can be quite confident herpes isn't the issue.
I hope this helps. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
The title to your question ("Do I have herpes or something else?") allows me to make a general comment intended to benefit all users who wonder if their atypical genital symptoms might be due to herpes. A lot has been written about "atypical" presentations of genital herpes and the nonspecific symptoms herpes can cause. However, the truth is that almost all cases of herpes cause highly typical symptoms. Herpes is always very unlikely if there are no genital blisters/sores that appear for at least several days; if symptoms come and go more often than every 1-2 months; if there is tingling, burning, or rash that involves wide areas of the genitals; if any of those symptoms occur all by themselves, without blisters/sores; or if blisters/sores keep recurring in more than one spot on or near the genitals. Almost all recurrent herpes outbreaks are in exactly the same place every time, give or take an inch. And the chance of herpes in such situations is even lower (generally zero) if an HSV blood test shows no evidence of infection with either HSV-1 or -2 3 months or more after onset of symptoms.
The "atypical" herpes that people talk about really are just mild but typical cases, or were entirely asymptomatic. For example, the person has newly diagnosed herpes that seems like a recurrent outbreaks or in absence of a new sex partner etc, and doesn't recall an initial outbreak. He or she then thinks back and realizes s/he had occasional genital itching or tingling in the past, and comes to believe that symptom also was herpes -- which often probably is not correct.
In addition to those comments, which I wrote before even reading your question beyond the title: initial herpes rarely involves the scrotum or other hair-bearing areas, but those are typical locations for folliculitis, pimples, or other things that can cause red bumps or pustules. If you look closely, maybe you'll see that some lesions have hairs emanating from them -- a sure sign against herpes. And for a new HSV infection to take, the virus usually has to be massaged into the tissues. Therefore, initial herpes usually involves the sites that receive maximum friction during sex -- in men, usually the penis itself (and only the penis), and not the groin, pubic area, scrotum, etc. And herpes doesn't cause red "patches" on the genital skin.
It is not true that yeast infection "looks like herpes". Because some symptoms are similar (e.g., genital itching), once in a while a woman with herpes believes she had a yeast infection -- but that's mostly because she didn't look closely enough at the sore area and therefore missed obvious blisters, sores, etc.
"White goo" on your penis suggest you are uncircumcised (yes?), and might have had minor inflammation under the foreskin (the medical term is balanitis). Increased hygiene for a few days, i.e. a soap and water wash a couple times a day with foreskin retracted, usually is all that's necessary.
Considering all these factors, it is very unlikely you have herpes. Of course, no distant expert can be certain, so this is no guarantee you don't have a highly atypical case -- or that you might have herpes plus something else. If the problem continues or recurs, see a heatlh care provider. But in the meantime, I think you can be quite confident herpes isn't the issue.
I hope this helps. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
You are reading content posted in the STDs 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.
