A day ago I started having a literal pain in my ass. I have had hemorrhoids before and it feels just like that. no bleeding. It mainly hurts when I'm sitting down. The heated seats in my car didn't help. I started some fiber supplements a few weeks ago and the past few days I neglected to drink near enough fluids. This seemed to have come on pretty quick. I can't really feel anything but the pain isn't around the opening, it is further up. The witch hazel pads and ointment have done wonders for pain. My question:

Could it be herpes or an STI? There are no sores and I've had no anal sex recently. I have had oral and I read that if you get herpes from getting oral sex (being the recipient) the herpes could show in the anal are and not necessarily the penis? Is this true? The last oral I had was a few days ago but I was the recipient. That is hat concerned. Again, there is no pain unless I"m sitting and a little pain when having a bowel movement but that seems to be due to hard stools due to lack of hydration. Now if I apply occams razor to this  - it is likely a flare up from not enough water and too much fiber and hard stools.  I appreciate your insight as always.

Without doing an exam, it really isn't possible for me to know what might be going on here.  This is the perfect example of a visit to a clinician being the only way to know what's going on.  When you say it's farther up, do you mean farther up inside your rectum?

If you received oral sex, unprotected, and acquired new herpes, if the oral sex was given to your penis, that is where new lesions would almost always show up. They could be anal as well, but I believe that they would first show up on your penis.

I would encourage you to be seen in person to have this anal area pain evaluated by a good clinician

Terri

Your question about shedding is unclear - are you now talking about genital shedding or oral shedding?

Terri

Also one final question (and I know this will be the last response).  Anal Herpes would affect the anal area and not into the rectal area higher up? 

Thank you

The way to know about shedding is to have swab testing done of any concerning skin changes

Anal herpes is normally limited to the anal area and not farther up the rectum

Terri