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Herpes Anxiety
Hi! At the end of December, I noticed a slightly reddened area of skin on my penis, on the underside of the shaft, just under the tip, one side of the frenulum. To be more specific about the location, it's where the skin kind of folds up like an accordion, bordered by the V-shape made by the glans. I am circumcised. If I stretched out this skin, i could see a tiny, pinprick bump. To my recollection, it wasn't even palpable- if I ran my fingers over the area I couldn't even feel a bump. But nonetheless, there it was, a tiny tiny red volcano. It was painless, and didn't itch. There was no white tip or fluid or anything. It was the same texture as the surrounding skin. When I looked closer, I saw smaller similar bumps on the other side of the frenulum, but they were the same color and texture as the surrounding skin - no redness. For all of the bumps, it looked as if the skin simply sloped up into them- I couldn't tell where the skin ended and the bump began. I let it alone for a day, and the next day it hadn't changed at all. I absolutely freaked out and picked the bumps off- except it wasn't like a simple scratching motion, I had to pinch at the skin with my nails, so I'm pretty sure I was just ripping the skin off. I basically ended up with large cuts in the skin. It was unbelievably stupid of me and I'll never forgive myself. For a while, it was out of sight, out of mind. But lately I've been concerned about the possibility of a wart or herpes. I've seen a planned parenthood NP and a dermatologist and told them about the bumps, and neither was concerned, but I'm not sure they understood what I meant when I said I picked them off. They said that herpes isn't something you can pick off and it go away, which I understand, but where could a herpes blister grow when there isn't any skin left? I'm concerned that I dug into the skin before it had a chance to grow into a blister. Should I be worried? I tested on Friday, no results yet.
Great. And presumably warts shouldn't be on my mind either?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Thanks for the follow-up. You can go forward with certainty you don't have genital herpes.
Just checking in, I got my test results back and I was negative for HSV-1 and HSV-2. Of course, my anxiety started thinking of the possibility of false negatives and all that, but with your reassurance that these symptoms weren't indicative of herpes to begin with, I'll take the test as conclusive and drop the matter. This has been an ongoing thing for several months- I've become obsessed with a plethora of different stds, and ultimately have been tested or diagnosed clear of them all, so it is a psychological thing. As you often recommend to patients on here, I do have an appointment with a counselor on the books, and I'm hoping to get this whole matter taken care of!
Many Thanks!
Many Thanks!
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
These comments don't change my opinion or advice.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the forum. Thanks for your question.
This doesn't sound at all like herpes. The large majority of skin rashes and other skin problems of the genitals, including the penis, are not STDs. Most of the many skin problems that can occur anywhere on the body sometimes involve the genitals. In addition, there is a large number of skin problems that occur primarily in the genital area.
It is correct that you could not scrape away a herpes lesion, and also not a genital wart. Also, anything that you have to look so closely to even see probably isn't abnormal anyway.
For these reasons, I agree with the Planned Parenthood nurse practitioner and the dermatologist you have seen. I recommend you sit tight at wait for the results of the lab tests. But stay relaxed in the meantime. I doubt you have any STD.
Best wishes-- HHH, MD
This doesn't sound at all like herpes. The large majority of skin rashes and other skin problems of the genitals, including the penis, are not STDs. Most of the many skin problems that can occur anywhere on the body sometimes involve the genitals. In addition, there is a large number of skin problems that occur primarily in the genital area.
It is correct that you could not scrape away a herpes lesion, and also not a genital wart. Also, anything that you have to look so closely to even see probably isn't abnormal anyway.
For these reasons, I agree with the Planned Parenthood nurse practitioner and the dermatologist you have seen. I recommend you sit tight at wait for the results of the lab tests. But stay relaxed in the meantime. I doubt you have any STD.
Best wishes-- HHH, MD
Even more clarification (very sorry), the flu-like symptoms occurred around the same time as the bumps, in late december, not in march.
Whoops, sorry for 2 extra comments- but for clarity, there were only 2 of the smaller similar bumps. 3 bumps total.
Quick comment about my history: I received oral twice from a girl who has never had cold sores (to her knowledge) in March 2013. These were my first sexual experiences, and were the only ones until this bump appeared. She was a virgin, except for oral with 4-5 guys. Oh, also, around the same time I got very sick with what seemed to be the flu (except I got a flu shot)- extreme fatigue (I was bed-ridden), sore throat, vomiting, night sweats, etc. Could that be related? I now have a girlfriend and I'm concerned about sex with her, I don't want to give her anything!
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.
