Mouth Ulcers

[DRTP]

Hello,

I am a male and about 4 months after contact with a female escort girl I had the following and would appreciate your advice. We had protected intercourse, french kissing and unprotected oral both ways.

The first time was about a month ago when I started feeling a grating feeling in the upper pallet of my throat just behind the top right hand last tooth. This then developed into a reddish patch with two small white ***** kind of strips and it lasted about 2-3 days and disappeared. When I have this it stings each time the tounge touches it and when I eat food etc etc.

Its about a month since the first episode and I have the same again this time about three reddish patches and one with a white blob in the patch. Similar to before it kind of grates and stings when the tounge touches it and also stings when I eat food. Its been about two days this time around, and, at least for a day it was quite uncomfortable and it appears to be getting better now.

I have a cold at the moment and I think I had a cold the previous time as well.

I would appreciate your thoughts and advice on this and in particular whether this could be an STD?

Thank you.

Regards,

Ruchi

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Glad to help.  EWH

[DRTP]

Hi Dr Hook,

Thanks very much for your answer.

Appreciate it.

Regards,

Ruchi

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to our Forum.  The ulcers you describe are not related to your sexual contact 4 months ago.  The only STD that might cause the sort of recurring ulcers that you describe is herpes and your symptoms do not fit with HSV.  They occurred for the first time too long after exposure to be HSV, they have been localized to the inside of your mouth and HSV lesions involve the lips as well as the inside of the mouth (in fact, while it is typical for HSV to recur outside of the mouth, it is less common to occur inside), and your initial outbreak did not last long enough to suggest HSV.  

Rather, what you do describe is a problem called "aphous ulcers" which are common within the mouth and which tend to recur, particularly when people get other illnesses such as colds. the precise cause of aphous ulcers is unknown but they are not due to an STD.  There are also other dermatologic processes which can cause recurring ulcerations within the mouth but aphous ulcers are far and away the most common cause.  

My advice is first to be confident that these are not an STD and are not due to your encounter 4 months ago.  If they continue to be problematic for you I would discuss their management with a dermatologist.  

I hope my comments are helpful. EWH