newtothis22

I feel for you because I know many people out there who constantly have unprotected sex and never catch anything but then it can happen to someone who has only been in serious relationships. The truth is those other people probably have it as well they just haven’t displayed symptoms. Obviously once you’re diagnosed then there’s nothing you can do about it but learn to live with it the best you can. I’m currently dealing with the possibility of both genital warts and herpes and am unsure how I’ll cope but all I know is I’ll have to. It sucks but it is what it is. There are loads of forums on the internet with advice on how to cope with this but the important thing is to stay strong. If you ever want to talk I’m here.

Around 10 hours after having unprotected sex last week my penis and pubic area developed red spots and a slight rash under one of my testicles. I already had a molluscum spot on my testicle before the sex that I had forgotten about but the symptoms seem very different from this. Some of the red spots on my penis developed little white heads but these would pop in the shower leaving red bumps. I have been debating what to do since last week and have finally decided to go to a clinic on Monday but the bumps have now almost faded away. All that is left is a red mark or a little flake of skin over where the white head popped. Also I’m almost certain I have developed a genital wart, it looks exactly as they do online. Very tiny (almost unnoticeable) and skin coloured. So as you can see my penis is currently suffering with molluscum, possible genital warts and the white heads which may or may not be herpes. I’m aware that herpes takes longer to appear after exposure but if I already carried the virus is it possible the sex triggered an outbreak? I’ll be going to the clinic on Monday anyway but I just wanted some advice for the time being as I’m pretty anxious waiting to find out.

@sarahsfocus It’s expensive for a blood test in the UK but if I go to the clinic they may choose to swab one of the spots to test for herpes. I will see how the red spots and rashes develop towards the end of the week and book an appointment next Monday. Thanks

As I said before I slept with a girl unprotected two nights ago and the next day I came out with these small red spots and rashes around my pubic area and towards my thighs. I also have a rash under my testical which stings a little (probably due to the friction). These red spots go beyond my penis and all the way up to my belly button spread out. It seems to be spreading more since yesterday. I had a case of molloscum a few months back but one spot remained which I completely forgot about and I now have 2 small spots on my penis which I believe could have been spreaded from the first one. It’s just all the red spots and rashes make it seem like it could be more than just this. Does this sound at all like a herpes outbreak? Is there a chance I already had herpes and the sex triggered my first outbreak? I’m so confused

@sarahsfocus Thanks, I’ll see how it looks in the morning and take it from there. I am scared but all I can do is wait and see

I wrote on this forum a few months ago thinking I had herpes (but I didn’t - well at least I didn’t have reason to believe I did) Anyway moving forward I should’ve been safer with sex from that scare and I was for a while until a drunken night out last night. I slept with a girl without using protection and I’m not sure how clean she is since I’ve heard she sleeps around. Big mistake. Today I’ve had these red rashes appear, mostly surrounding the pubic hair towards my thigh. Most of them look like red spots grouped together. There is little irritation though. Could I have contracted HSV from her? Would a reaction appear this soon after exposure? Or if it isn’t herpes what else could it be?

I’m moving to university in just over a week and I had planned to take a herpes blood test at the end of the month. I have reason to believe I carry the virus because a girl I was seeing had a blood test in July and it showed she had been recently exposed (I was the only person she’d slept with or kissed in months). The results were inconclusive and she was meant to do a retest at the end of the month, but she’s just told me she already had it done and will know the results in a few days. I’m pretty scared for what they will be. My life is taking so many changes with moving into a new place, meeting new people and going on nights out. I should be excited but I can’t stop thinking about H and it will stop me enjoying myself. I’m not the most confident person anyway but I am alright looking and I’ve had girls flirt with me before so having to turn them down will suck (I was actually known as a “ladies man” by my old colleagues) I also have no idea how to tell a new partner I carry the virus without them running a mile. In a way I think it can be harder for men because the transmission rate is higher and women often have more choice when it comes to dating. I’ll be at home when I find out her results which will determine mine before I take a test myself and I don’t know how I’ll cope with the news. I don’t want to talk to family because they don’t understand and I think I’d rather be alone to deal with it in my own way. I just want to know that despite the results I can still have an enjoyable time at university but I’m not feeling very optimistic. Kinda wish I was one of the 80% who don’t know they carry the virus...

@Amando Thanks for the advice, you’re right the chances are I do already have HSV-1 so it’s whether I have also caught HSV-2 in the past year and it carried it over. @sunnyinvert That sounds like a very traumatic experience and I don’t doubt my reaction to the diagnosis will be any different. I feel like I will really need support so I appreciate having the forum here. Thank you

You must be in an awful situation, there’s a strong chance I have genital herpes and if the results come back positive I wouldn’t dream of not disclosing to a partner. Have a serious chat with him, find out exactly why he chose not to disclose and whether he is generally sorry or just sorry he got caught out. Only stay with him because you want to and not because you have HSV-2. It will be a difficult adjustment but you are definitely not alone in this. You have a tough decision to make but only you can decide what is best to do.

About 2 months back I started noticing these small bumps on my penis that I worried could be an STI so I told my most recent partner and she had similar bumps so we both went for tests. She lives in the USA and I’m from the UK, in her test they assumed genital herpes immediately (they took a swab, negative and a blood test, inconclusive). From her iGG blood test it showed a recent exposure and I’m the only person she’s been with since before Christmas. However my appointment went differently, I was told the bumps were molloscum, did a test for other STIs and everything was clear except in the UK they do not offer a blood test for herpes. I asked for their advice because she may have caught it from me but they told me not to worry if there are no symptoms and there’s no need for a blood test. But if her results come back positive for HSV-2 then I feel it is my responsibility to take a test. The problem is her next test isn’t until end of September so I’m planning to wait on her results and then pay for a private blood test but the wait is killing me. The idea of taking a test and seeing the results also scares me, and at least if I wait then her results will prepare me for what mine could be. The facts so far are as follows: - In the past year I’ve had unprotected sex with 3 girls (one of which I think I gave herpes) - Bumps on penis for the past two months, they keep spreading so have still not completely gone but diagnosed as molloscum. - The edge of my lip can sometimes crack and leave a small sore that looks a little like a coldsore but unsure. - History of herpes in family with my dad getting cold sores and I’ve also been told recently he once passed genital herpes onto my mum - Recent partner has had spots around her lips recently but unsure if it’s herpes or not Not sure what my chances are but really hoping I haven’t got HSV-2 for her sake. Unsure whether to just take test now but I’m just thinking if she only comes out with HSV-1 then perhaps it isn’t worth a blood test given the facts? Any comments or support would be appreciated, in a really different situation at the moment and the worst part is that I know if she wasn’t living in the USA this would all be done and dusted now and I wouldn’t have to worry 😞