Making sense of symptoms

[seamusharper]

I had unprotected oral sex and then vaginal sex with a condom with an escort nearly three weeks ago. The whole ordeal lasted about 10 mins. Other than a slight odor issue and occasional itchiness, I've had no other symptoms.

The other day I decided to try a Tenga toy for the first time. Immediately afterwards, I developed a rash on my penis head which hurt badly. Fortunately, the next day, the rash had subsided but I'm still dealing with tenderness and discomfort.

I'd like to think this was a bad reaction to the Tenga and/or lube seeing as I've never used either before but I'm now worried these are possible herpes symptoms from my encounter with the escort. 

Any thoughts on whether or not this is eludes to a herpes infection?

[AnnieO]

I'm not sure the incubation period for herpes is, but you might need to take a trip to the Docs and have that looked at. May just be a reaction to the material/lube. Doc may suggest some blood work too. Sorry you're having to deal with this. I pray it's nothing but a rash. 

[seamusharper]

3 hours ago, AnnieO said:

I'm not sure the incubation period for herpes is, but you might need to take a trip to the Docs and have that looked at. May just be a reaction to the material/lube. Doc may suggest some blood work too. Sorry you're having to deal with this. I pray it's nothing but a rash. 

I'm scheduled for blood work tomorrow so I suppose in a few days after I will know whether or not it's herpes although if it's HSV1, I suppose it's not possible to tell whether its genital or oral with no actual blisters to test.

[mr_hopp]

Hey @seamusharper, 

The symptoms you described could potentially be due to various causes, including a reaction to the material or lube used with the Tenga toy. Herpes doesn't present as a classic rash; the most common presentation is blisters or fissures, but definitely keep an eye on it and if anything else presents, get that spot swabbed so you can get some definitive data on what it may or may not be. 

It's worth noting that herpes (both HSV-1 and HSV-2) can have a range of symptoms, and the absence of visible blisters doesn't necessarily rule out the possibility of herpes infection. Blood tests can help detect herpes antibodies, which may provide more information, but herpes antibodies can take up to 12 weeks to be detectable on a blood test, so it's not a foolproof option, unfortunately. 

Please keep us updated on your situation, and if you have any further questions or concerns, feel free to ask!