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Possible exposure herpes...need help
Hi Doctor, about 15 days ago i made a huge mistake and had unprotected oral (her on me) and unprotected vaginal sex with a woman i met that night. About 5-10 minutes of each were performed and she told me she had no stds, but can't ever be sure. I noticed 4 days after exposure a slightly raised patch(skin colored), kinda scaly next to my urethra and some general bumpy-ness on the right side of the head of my penis. Some sporadic tingling sensations were going on and continue til this day. I saw a doctor twice, on days 4 and 7 post exposure. On day 4 he said no to herpes and gave me anti-biotic for chylamidia. On day 7 he said "he had seen nearly 300 herpes cases over 30 years" and said definately not herpes, even gave me script for 7 days of valtrex as a just in case type thing and to put my mind at ease. I being a hypochondriac start taking them on day 9 post possible exposure. Went to std clinic last thursday (day 11 post exposure) and got tested for the works and saw a PA who examined me and said no to herpes. I'm getting results back from my tests in few weeks. So here i am day almost 15 post exposure with this almost blister-like irregularity and bumpy-ness on my penis head still looking and feeling the same as day i noticed it even after almost a week of valtrex medication. But, i still feel like this could be a mild outbreak the doctors aren't catching, i'm very confused and fed up with this. Could it be possible this thing on my penis is herpes lesion/s even though its remained the same for over a week and a half? I've read about the low chances of std transmission during single encounter protected or unprotected but still am uneasy. Doctor what would you suggest me to do at this point?
Hey Doctor, wanted to let you know i took your advise and saw a dermatologist that said no to herpes or any sti after visual inspection and i thought my penis looked worst it has. So almost 24 days post exposure and non of the three dr.'s i've seen noticed anything over this timespan. i remember you saying in a thread to someone without visible lesions (that dr. would find) secondary symptoms (ie.leg/foot pain, headaches) would most likely not be initial outbreak or reoccurence, correct?. But, thanks for the help and i will get a blood test at appropriate time.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
No, this additional information doesn't change my opinion or advice. Still doesn't sound like herpes.
I'm sorry doctor one last thing i forgot to ask you in previous post then i promise i will leave you be. Is it common to experience symptoms as far as 10 days apart during an initial outbreak? Example; Having some neurologic pain on right side(foot and buttok), started yesterday, after having this unchanged, possible lesion on right side of penis head for 10 days. Could there be a correlation? Thank you for all your comments and i promise i will leave and return only when i have tested positive for a strand of the herpes simplex virus, thank you.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
That should say I recommend AGAINST blood testing.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Trust me on this. The symptoms you describe do not suggest herpes. Period. Based on the large number of comments on the herpes community forum (over 60!), it seems clear you are obsessed with genital herpes. It is neither the most common nor most important STD. Try to get your priorities straight. I recommend blood testing -- you're just going to inflame your anxieties to no purpose. Just stop worrying about it.
That will be all for this thread.
That will be all for this thread.
thank you doctor, this has all been very confusing and i appreciate your help and everyone on this site, i had a igg herpes blood test done late last year and was negative for both strains and this possible exposure has been my first partner since blood test. i will trust in you and the health care providers i've seen in that i probably don't have herpes, everything i've perceived as symptoms may have just been manifested in my head. I will wait to see what happens "down there" and get another blood test at about 3 months.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the forum. However, I doubt I can help. You have been on and off the herpes community forum for a couple of years, generally with symptoms that have some features consistent with herpes and others that do not; and you describe lots of visits with health care providers who were pretty sure herpes wasn't the cause of the problem.
And that seems to be the same issue here. Herpes doesn't cause "bumpy-ness" of the head of the penis, and you have seen at least 2 (maybe several?) health care providers who have said you don't have it. There is no such thing as a "mild outbreak" that causes symptoms noticed by the patient but not by the doctor -- or at least that's a very rare thing. And you seem to know that herpes cannot cause any kind of skin lesion that remains unchanged for 2 weeks. My guess is there is nothing at all wrong with your penile skin, that you're just paying too much attention and noting minor variations in skin appearance that don't mean anything.
What do I suggest you do at this point? I strongly recommend that henceforth and forever you stop trying to find answers on line, whether on this forum, the herpes community forum, or any other website. You're never going to get a clear diagnosis that way. Find a provider -- preferably a dermatologist -- who you trust. Then stick with that person, and no other health professional, for any and all genital skin symptoms. And trust what s/he finds and advises.
If and when you find a provider who confirms herpes, or if you have a postive blood test for HSV-2, feel free to return to tell me about it. But be clear: even if someday you have a positive HSV-2 blood test, it will not explain the kinds of symptoms you describe. It would only mean you have asymptomatic HSV-2 plus one or more other explanations for the appearance of the skin of your penis.
Regards-- HHH, MD
And that seems to be the same issue here. Herpes doesn't cause "bumpy-ness" of the head of the penis, and you have seen at least 2 (maybe several?) health care providers who have said you don't have it. There is no such thing as a "mild outbreak" that causes symptoms noticed by the patient but not by the doctor -- or at least that's a very rare thing. And you seem to know that herpes cannot cause any kind of skin lesion that remains unchanged for 2 weeks. My guess is there is nothing at all wrong with your penile skin, that you're just paying too much attention and noting minor variations in skin appearance that don't mean anything.
What do I suggest you do at this point? I strongly recommend that henceforth and forever you stop trying to find answers on line, whether on this forum, the herpes community forum, or any other website. You're never going to get a clear diagnosis that way. Find a provider -- preferably a dermatologist -- who you trust. Then stick with that person, and no other health professional, for any and all genital skin symptoms. And trust what s/he finds and advises.
If and when you find a provider who confirms herpes, or if you have a postive blood test for HSV-2, feel free to return to tell me about it. But be clear: even if someday you have a positive HSV-2 blood test, it will not explain the kinds of symptoms you describe. It would only mean you have asymptomatic HSV-2 plus one or more other explanations for the appearance of the skin of your penis.
Regards-- 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.
