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Nervous about herpes

› Forums › Herpes Questions › Nervous about herpes

  • This topic has 21 replies, 2 voices, and was last updated 7 years, 5 months ago by Terri Warren.
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    • January 8, 2015 at 6:23 am #2745
      JohnSmith2487
      Participant

      Hi. I’m a 27 year old male. I’ve never had any symptoms of either oral or genital herpes.

      About 10 days ago, I kissed and received oral sex from a woman–no intercourse. She did not appear to have any visible cold sores.

      About 7-8 days after the incident, I noticed a strange sensation in my penis. I wouldn’t really call it “tingling,” more like a dull throb in the head of my penis. On day 9, it went away. On day 10 (today), it came back. For an hour or so, it intensified to the point that it was painful, but most of the time it is more of a nuisance. I’ve had no tingling around my mouth.

      So I’ve had the sensation, off and on, for 3-4 days. I do not have any visible sores whatsoever, anywhere.

      A few questions:

      1. Could this be herpes that I’m still in the prodrome phase? Would that really last 3-4 days, and be intermittent like mine is?

      2. Since I kissed her (more vigorously and longer than the oral sex lasted), would it be unusual that I’d be showing signs of genital herpes, but not simply a cold sore?

      Thanks.

      • This topic was modified 7 years, 5 months ago by JohnSmith2487.
    • January 8, 2015 at 7:14 am #2748
      JohnSmith2487
      Participant

      I forgot one significant detail. While we did not have intercourse, she did lie on top of me briefly while we were both naked. There was no penetration, but I believe our genitals were in contact for a minute or two.

    • January 8, 2015 at 4:53 pm #2756
      Terri Warren
      Keymaster

      The symptoms that you describe are not consistent with herpes, no. If you acquired genital herpes from receiving oral sex, I would fully expect some sort of skin presentation that is different than normal. Lying on top of you with genitals touching does not present enough of a risk to get herpes, in my opinion.
      Remember that a person can acquire other STD’s from receiving oral sex than herpes. do you have any discharge or pain with urination? Have you been checked for other things?

      Terri

      • January 8, 2015 at 6:40 pm #2759
        JohnSmith2487
        Participant

        Thanks. I haven’t been checked for anything else, but I don’t have any additional symptoms like painful urination or discharge. It’s only the dull pain in my penis. I may go see a urologist tomorrow.

        After how many days of this, without a skin presentation, can I safely assume it’s simply not prodrome herpes? I’ve read people online say they’ve had a week long prodrome phase before.

        Finally, if I had a swab done, would that be able to determine if herpes is present, even though there are no visible sores? Would my urologist be able to perform this test?

    • January 8, 2015 at 7:30 pm #2761
      JohnSmith2487
      Participant

      So on closer inspection, in the area where my scrotum meets my leg, I noticed some dryness, white flakiness, and a bit of broken skin. This looked to me like dryness, and not like pics of herpes that i found online, but I’ve attached it here.

    • January 8, 2015 at 9:53 pm #2764
      Terri Warren
      Keymaster

      It sounds like you might have a fungal infection of the skin near the scrotum – leg junction.
      I think it would be an excellent idea to see a urologist to sort this out for you. You can get a herpes antibody test (IgG type specific ) to know if you have herpes or not, even if you don’t have symptoms. I would think they could order that test for you, yes.
      I think if you have these symptoms for a week with no lesions, you aren’t going to get lesions probably.

      We have used up all of our questions. If you have more, you can renew your subscription.

      Terri

    • January 9, 2015 at 2:13 am #2778
      JohnSmith2487
      Participant

      Thanks. I renewed my subscription because I found out additional possible symptom that I’d like your opinion on. Under my foreskin, near the tip of my penis, I found one small, white bump. I can’t tell if this is the beginning of a herpes blister or not. There is only one, and it is not surrounded by a red rash or anything. It is not sensitive or painful to touch.

      I’ve attached a picture. Would you be willing to give me your opinion? It’s just to the right of the foreskin “bridge” or whatever you call it. I don’t know if this is new or not since I don’t usually inspect the underside of my foreskin that closely.

      If my doctor swabbed this, would it be enough to produce a reliable culture? Note that the blood test won’t work for me since I was only potentially exposed 10 days ago, and the antibodies likely would’ve have formed.

      • This reply was modified 7 years, 5 months ago by JohnSmith2487.
    • January 9, 2015 at 2:20 am #2781
      Terri Warren
      Keymaster

      If we are looking at the same bump I am, these are pearly papules which are completely normal. I see these each and every day. No worries.

      Terri

    • January 9, 2015 at 2:24 am #2782
      JohnSmith2487
      Participant

      Great thanks. Just to clarify, i’m talking about the single white bump that’s about halfway down between my thumbs, just to the right of the place where my foreskin connects between shaft and head.

    • January 9, 2015 at 4:05 am #2786
      Terri Warren
      Keymaster

      Yup we are looking at the same bumps. My opinion stands.

      Terri

    • January 9, 2015 at 4:44 pm #2795
      JohnSmith2487
      Participant

      OK one more question — might be nothing but I figure I have another follow-up question to use, so why not.

      Last night, I started getting strange leg pain. It started like a pain in my thigh, and then moved to my calf. This morning it’s still there, in both calves. I feeling like a dull muscle pain, constantly. Could this be the leg pain associated with herpes? Never felt anything like this before.

      Still no sign of sores.

    • January 9, 2015 at 4:55 pm #2797
      Terri Warren
      Keymaster

      That seems unlikely to me. Some people do get pain in the leg prior to an outbreak but it is almost always unilateral, just one side.

      Terri

    • January 11, 2015 at 5:23 pm #2832
      JohnSmith2487
      Participant

      Terri — Decided to subscribe again because I have a new symptom. I woke up this morning with a new red area on my penis. A picture of that is attached.

      It is not painful and didn’t itch. there was no discomfort surrounding it besides the previous dullness I’d described above.

      Does this look like the beginning of herpes?

      If this was herpes, would it hurt or be uncomfortable, or not until it turns into blisters?

      If this was herpes, how long would it be until this redness turns into something else?

    • January 11, 2015 at 6:14 pm #2834
      Terri Warren
      Keymaster

      Have you ever had a cold sore on your lip? If yes, then you would not get genital hSV 1 from receiving oral sex.
      This bump is a little concerning though I think really unlikely to be herpes. Nonetheless, I think if you can, you might want to get seen today to get it swab tested if a clinician that you see has any concerns it is herpes . My guess is that this is a pimple. I’m a little confused about what I’m looking at also. Are you uncircumsised? Does this bump look like a pimple to you?

      Terri

      • January 11, 2015 at 6:35 pm #2836
        JohnSmith2487
        Participant

        Hi — I am uncurcumcised, and you are looking at the head of my penis, with the foreskin pulled back.

        I have never had a cold sore, hence my reason for being nervous.

        It does not look like a pimple to me. It is flat to the touch, not raised at all. I don’t see any white head associated with it so far.

        Regarding my previous questions, would herpes at this stage be painful to the touch? How long until it formed blisters?

        I’ve attached another picture that’s zoomed out a bit for better perspective. Don’t worry about the other red area at the top of the frame — that’s a red birthmark or something that I’ve had for years.

        • This reply was modified 7 years, 5 months ago by JohnSmith2487.
    • January 11, 2015 at 6:37 pm #2839
      Terri Warren
      Keymaster

      Better picture. No, it does not like herpes to me. Rarely have I seen new herpes present only on the head of the penis also. It might or might not be painful to the touch, but I would say the majority of the time, new herpes is tender. Blisters would form early on in an outbreak. Have you had a herpes antibody test?

      Terri

      • January 11, 2015 at 6:47 pm #2840
        JohnSmith2487
        Participant

        A few years ago I tested negative for both HSV 1 and 2, so I’m sure I haven’t had a longstanding infection since childhood. I have had a few partners since the test, so I suppose things could have changed, but I’ve never had any symptoms.

        Thanks for putting up with all my questions — your service is very helpful for people who are anxious about this stuff.

    • January 11, 2015 at 8:47 pm #2842
      Terri Warren
      Keymaster

      No problem, that’s what I’m doing here! Sometimes I can just feel people’s anxiety though the computer. I get it, it’s scary to sort out sometimes.

      Terri

    • January 11, 2015 at 9:45 pm #2846
      JohnSmith2487
      Participant

      I don’t know if I’m going crazy or getting herpes, but I have a new skin irregularity. This one is actually a bump which I can feel when I run my finger across it. I’ve attached two pictures. Again, not painful or tender. Thoughts?

      • This reply was modified 7 years, 5 months ago by JohnSmith2487.
      • This reply was modified 7 years, 5 months ago by JohnSmith2487.
    • January 11, 2015 at 9:59 pm #2853
      Terri Warren
      Keymaster

      aaaaah. this, from a great distance, looks like molluscum contagiosum to me. Molluscum is characterized by skin colored bumps with white centers. Upon close inspection, there is a dimple in the middle of the bump. If squeezed out, the center of the bump is a white thick cheese like substance. Again, it’s a picture and hard to say but that is one possibility. It looks nothing like herpes to me, from your photo.

      Terri

    • January 11, 2015 at 10:04 pm #2854
      JohnSmith2487
      Participant

      OK thanks. It looked to me like the beginning of a herpes vesicle but I’ll take your word for it. Is molluscum transmittable through oral sex, which I received? Upon googling it, it seems like more of an intercourse transmitted disease.

    • January 11, 2015 at 10:05 pm #2855
      Terri Warren
      Keymaster

      It is a skin condition, so close skin to skin contact. and of course it could be something else entirely. I’m just going from a photo.

      Terro

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