[Question #3124] Herpetic whitlow?

38 months ago

I'm freaking out that I may have herpes. I developed a raised bump on the top of my right hand about 3 weeks ago. I thought it was allergic so I put OTC cream on and it took away itch but didn't seem to reduce it in size. It is smaller than a pencil eraser. Walk in clinic diagnosed as abrasion and not contagious. I wasn't satisfied so I went to another walk in clinic and they diagnosed as wart. Last week, I went to my doctor and he looked at with dermascope. Diagnosed as non contagious and abrasion, not a wart. Told me to leave it alone for a month. No band aid, no creams. I've been very tense and looking up skin conditions on line. Could it be herpetic whitlow and all 3 missed it? I keep checking my hands for blisters and found a couple. I don't know if it's related or how tight I've been holding the steering wheel. I've never cheated on my wife but have been to a massage parlor many years ago where there was frottage and she grabbed my penis for a few seconds when I told her to stop. I was tested for all std's after that but herpes was just a visual exam. So my 2 questions are: Could the doctor be wrong after looking with a dermascope? Could I have transferred virus to hand while masturbating? Thank you for your quick reply as I don't want to spread this to anyone else.

Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner

38 months ago

I think your worries are completely and totally unfounded. If a clinician diagnosed it as a wart, then I don't think it could possibly be herpes because warts and herpes look absolutely nothing alike. I sincerely also doubt that a dermascope evaluation would have missed herpes.
It seems to me that you have quite a bit of unresolved anxiety and concerns about a contact that happened many years ago if you are still worrying that there could be consequences from that encounter. For the record, the encounter that you had did not present a risk for any STD.

Terri
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38 months ago

Terri,

Thank you so much for the prompt reply. You are right that I have some unresolved anxiety from past decisions, prior and post marriage. Before I saw your post, I went to an urgent care today to look at the original bump on my hand and the new blisters on my fingers. He assured me that the blisters were not herpetic whitlow and that I'm not contagious. Just normal blisters.

I do finally believe that after reading your post as you are an expert in this field. There is one thing that I don't understand though. If genital herpes is skin to skin contact , why can't it be transmitted from naked frottage? I'm glad to hear it's not but that is where my unfounded fear came from. I thought if I had genital herpes, never an outbreak, and masturbated where semen got on my hand, that I autoinnoculated myself and gave myself herpetic whitlow. I've been on the web too much and realize this now. I did not want to spread this if it was whitlow which is why I was so anxious. Thanks again for all you do. You've helped a lot of people, I see.

Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner

38 months ago

Generally speaking, there is not contact with the vulnerable tissue with frottage. was there considerable genital to genital contact when you did that? Perhaps I should have asked you for more details about that. That's a term that people may use to describe different types of contact than when I think of that. Her grabbing your penis is definitely not a risk.

Let me ask you - have you been tested for herpes due to these concerns from many years ago?

Terri
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38 months ago

Terri,

I was wearing boxers but know it poked out from the erection and rubbed her bare buttocks from her grinding on me. No genital to genital unless her but is considered genitals. I got blood tested for HIV and other std's but the clinic I went to only did herpes and genital warts by physical exam. I was convinced I had HIV and took several at home tests(crazy, right) My doctor told me back then what you told me. No risk but as you can see I still struggle when something weird happens to my body, I find myself going back to std's. I've never had an outbreak to my knowledge. From what I read, some people never do or it's so minor they don't realize it which adds to my paranoia. Thanks again for your comments as I feel much better.

Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner

38 months ago

Her butt is NOT considered genitals - buttoms do not shed virus. thank you for clarification but the information that you have given me does not change my initial impression that absolutely nothing put you at risk for an STI.

Terri
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