I’ve come to you guys before with question and your advice has always been sage. So I’m back with a little bit of a dilemma.

So about 17 days ago I had a hookup with another guy. He said he was negative on all stis. We didn’t have sex. But we did have a little hand to genital contact. I put on a condom after and we had a little genital to genital contact. No penetration, but probably a little skin to skin (Base of penis/thighs). 

So about a week afterwards I had a pretty bad headache and two days ago. Some kind of sore appeared on my back near my arm pit. It looks just like the pics on google. It’s just one sore. He didn’t have any contact there and I was wearing a shirt. Could this be a syphilis chancre? Should I get tested?

Anyway, you describe a zero risk event in regard to HIV and other STDs. (I started to write "zero risk exposure", but clearly this event was no exposure at all.) You were at no greater risk than shaking hands with this person. Your symptoms cannot be due to any HIV or any other STD acquired during that event -- even if he is infected, which probably he was not. (People rarely lie about their infections status.) I haven't a clue about the cause of the "sore" near your armpit, but it wasn't from this contact. You labeled your question "syphilis", but that is impossible. I would not advise testing for anything. If your symptoms continue and/or you remain concerned, see a doctor. But they are only coincidental with the non-exposure event described.

I hope these comments are helpful. Let me know if anything isn't clear.

HHH, MD