Herpes or HPV?

[lotto]

Latest unprotected encounter was 3 weeks ago, the last one before then was well over a year. Had a red rash appear on my glans after the most recent encounter, but last week also started to notice tiny bumps on the inside of my foreskin. 

As far as symptoms go, I've been noticing itching, but no blister forming or bursting. Perhaps a few instances of an uncomfortable stinging or burning sensation, but no agonizing pains.

In the 5 days since I've started to notice these bumps, there have been no visible changes to them that I am aware of.

Glans: https://i.imgur.com/aOzOvKx.png

Inside of foreskin: https://i.imgur.com/CViYTx0.jpg

[lotto]

Anyone got an idea on this?

[MikeHerp]

The second image doesn't look like an STD.  But the first one, I'm not so sure.  Might want to get tested.  I wouldn't necessarily say it's herpes.  Might be ballantis. Check if it clears up in a day or two and, if not, or if it recurs, get tested.  

[lotto]

On 10/4/2019 at 5:37 PM, MikeHerp said:

The second image doesn't look like an STD.  But the first one, I'm not so sure.  Might want to get tested.  I wouldn't necessarily say it's herpes.  Might be ballantis. Check if it clears up in a day or two and, if not, or if it recurs, get tested.  

Thank for replying. I do hope that you're right on those bumps, despite their weird appearance. 

I've been applying anti-fungal cremes to the glans for now, and while this seemed to promote a slightly healthier looking appearance at first, it hasn't done much against the uncomfortable sensation caused by it.

Edited October 6, 2019 by lotto

[Scooby2112]

I would have said the opposite.  The first to me doesn’t look like much but the second has multiple bumps in a small space.  Similar to what a herpes outbreak would look like.  But I agree they don’t look like normal herpes.  But in that wet environment it sometimes looks different I think.  

Either way doctor should take a look.  

[lotto]

1 hour ago, Scooby2112 said:

I would have said the opposite.  The first to me doesn’t look like much but the second has multiple bumps in a small space.  Similar to what a herpes outbreak would look like.  But I agree they don’t look like normal herpes.  But in that wet environment it sometimes looks different I think.  

Either way doctor should take a look.  

If the bumps are herpes, should they have burst or blistered already by now? I've been trying to keep an eye on them for a week now, and they generally appear to be in the same state.

Granted, they are in an extremely tough position to keep track of any disappearing or newly appearing bumps, but they all seem to be in the same condition for at least this last week.

[Scooby2112]

They may not “burst”.  May just start to fade.  
 

if they stay the same for two weeks I would say unlikely to be Herp related

[lotto]

Glans cleaned up nicely, so the assumption is that was just ballanitis or candida after all.

First GP visit had him saying my bumps looked like herpes, but on the second he said everything looks healthy including the foreskin, despite the bumps persisting. Will attempt to contact him again for clarification on what exactly he meant the second time around.

Going for a standard STD panel on Friday. After that I'll wait to re-assess the bumps at the 2 week mark next Monday, or I'll just buy Aciclovir cream and see if that affects them in any meaningful way.

Edited October 10, 2019 by lotto

[lotto]

I'm at the two week mark for discovering them, and I've applied aciclovir topically for 2 or 3 days now. I'm noticing occasional weird feelings, but could this be because of the cream also getting on my glans? 

Appearance wise, the bumps do not appear to have changed much. 

[Scooby2112]

Just FYI.  aciclovir cream was not proven to be any more effective than nothing at all.  

Edited October 13, 2019 by Scooby2112

[lotto]

4 hours ago, Scooby2112 said:

Just FYI.  aciclovir cream was not proven to be any more effective than nothing at all.  

Well great, many thanks to my GP for not immediately putting me on pills or anything that works then. 

Guessing there's nothing I can just buy in any drug store that'll help then? 

Edited October 14, 2019 by lotto

[lotto]

Was told on third visit to GP that it was nothing to be concerned about, and definitely not herpes. Asked for a referral to the dermatologist to be certain regardless. 

[lotto]

Almost 4 weeks post-discovery of bumps, almost 6 weeks since the encounter. Don't see much change, difficult to assess what these bumps can be.

[Scooby2112]

Herpes is unlikely to be present for 4 weeks unchanged.  You can have an outbreak for that long but there would be bumps forming and healing and new bumps forming.  

[lotto]

17 hours ago, Scooby2112 said:

Herpes is unlikely to be present for 4 weeks unchanged.  You can have an outbreak for that long but there would be bumps forming and healing and new bumps forming.  

I'd have to take frequent pictures to track any potential changes then. 

If only it were any easier to just get a straight answer to identify what these bumps are. My GP changing his mind doesn't really do wonders with regards to me completely trusting his judgment either

[Scooby2112]

You would notice lesions forming and leaving.  Possibly scabbing over.  

[lotto]

31 minutes ago, Scooby2112 said:

You would notice lesions forming and leaving.  Possibly scabbing over.  

Hmm, alright then.

The thing I don't get is that in all the searching I have done, I still haven't been able to find a conclusive answer as to what it might be then. You'd figure that someone out there would have an encyclopedic knowledge of all possible afflictions in the nether regions.

[lotto]

Noticing burning pains all across the underside of my shaft again for the last few days, but no noticeable visible changes. Clearly something must be wrong for this to persist. 

[Tone123]

On 11/2/2019 at 10:30 AM, lotto said:

Noticing burning pains all across the underside of my shaft again for the last few days, but no noticeable visible changes. Clearly something must be wrong for this to persist. 

If the bumps are still there id see a dermatologist if I was you and have him do a biopsy. I had a persistent single bump and I was certain it's hsv but the longer I waited the more I knew that it wasn't hsv and seen a derm at around 5 months after noticing it. It turned out to be hpv. I didn't think it was hpv in the Begining because it was a bump under the skin and not like what u see online. It's gotten much better now but the symptoms I felt was similar  to yours. Burning and irritation even tho low level but it was there. I hope this helps you, and by now you have some answers. 

[lotto]

On 11/7/2019 at 6:56 PM, Tone123 said:

If the bumps are still there id see a dermatologist if I was you and have him do a biopsy. I had a persistent single bump and I was certain it's hsv but the longer I waited the more I knew that it wasn't hsv and seen a derm at around 5 months after noticing it. It turned out to be hpv. I didn't think it was hpv in the Begining because it was a bump under the skin and not like what u see online. It's gotten much better now but the symptoms I felt was similar  to yours. Burning and irritation even tho low level but it was there. I hope this helps you, and by now you have some answers. 

Thank you for your reply. I'm sorry that it turned out to be HPV for you. Did it grow over the course of those 5 months or just stay the time? 

The irritating feeling has again subsided for me. Went to a second GP and she wouldn't refer me to the dermo because insisted that it was not herpes or anything harmful at all, but rather PPP or something akin to it. 

I have also used this dermatologist app, and the answer I got there was that it was likely Fordyce spots.

At the very least I know it can't be herpes anymore with the duration of things. I might be able to cross off HPV as well based on how stuff will react to application of ACV. New conundrum being how to apply that without burning off my glans as well. 

If any bad sensations return, I will use another GP and push for derma referral like there's no tomorrow. At this point I am at least primed on HPV being the sole possible malignant option left.