[Question #938] Maybe a burn, maybe tingle?

100 months ago

Hello! First of all thank you for what you do. About ten days ago I had sex with someone I don't know which was completely protected and the condom was in tact after. I received oral sex from her for a couple minutes. The next morning I felt a weird slight tingling sensation in opening of my penis. For the past week this feeling has come and gone. It does not burn when I urinate nor have I had any discharge. I am wondering if this is something in my head or something else. I am scared of ghonorea or chlamdyia. Sometimes I notice that it's been hours and I don't feel anything but when I begin to think about it I feel that strange tingle not quite a burn. I thought perhaps it could be the condom as I am in a committed relationship and this was a drunken mistake on my end in Las Vegas. Obviously I am terrified now. I constantly inspect my penis opening and check to see if it burns in any way when I pee but it never does only when I am sitting around I notice that slight burn or tingle sensation.

I have no other symptoms that I can think of from this. Thanks for any help or thoughts.

100 months ago

I didn't know my name would appear I thought it would have been my user name. Is there any way to remove it or use a different alias please

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

100 months ago

Welcome to the forum. Thanks for your question. I'll ask the web administrator to fix your name.

First, congratulations for the wisdom to use a condom for this exposure. Second and most important, you needn't worry about STD. Your symptoms aren't typical for any STD, and no STD can start to cause symptoms in less than 24 hours. Further, the condom would have prevented any STD while it was in place. I would wonder whether the condom came with lubricant that contained a spermicide, which often causes chemical irritation of the urethra. STDs don't cause tingling, and no STD causes symptoms that come and go. If an infection were the cause, the symptoms almost certainly would be continuous.

So I'm confident this is no STD from the exposure 10 days ago, and that you can safely continue sex with your regular partner. If somehow I were in your situation, that's what I would do. However, if you want still more reassurance, you could visit a doctor for examination and testing for common STDs like gonorrhea and chlamydia. If you do so, I'm confident they will be negative.

I hope these comments have been helpful. Best wishes and stay safe-- HHH, MD

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100 months ago

Dr. Handsfield,

Thank you so much for your response. I know how much you must hate follow up questions that border on asking the same thing but I feel ridiculous after reading my question because I left out a key fact. The oral sex was unprotected, the remaining entire vaginal sex (no anal) was protected and I disposed of the condom and was sure that it was in tact etc.

How does this change your opinion?

On a side note, thank you so much for changing the name to anything other than what it is.

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

100 months ago

Thanks for the thanks. I'm glad to have helped.

I assumed the oral was unprotected and took that into account in my reply. People rarely use condoms for oral sex and really don't need to. Oral sex is low risk for all STDs (much lower than vaginal or anal sex) and zero risk for some. In other words, this doesn't change my opinion or advice.

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100 months ago

Dr. Handsfield I just watched some YouTube videos where you were interviewed about certain Std's. Very informative, such a tool to have someone like you available for help online.

Ok so one more question, don't mind paying if this is considered new topic (kind of is). Last August I had vaginal sex with an escort and as I pulled out after ejaculating I noticed condom broke. (Heart sinks all the fears in the world arrive). She begins to tell me not to worry how she's tested clean etc but fear is fear :)

A month or two later I am tested for everything in the book you can think of except HIV. I haven't had sex with anyone other than wife except for the above mentioned incident that you already answered on. Last night as I was having sex with my wife and when we finished she noticed some burning and mild pain in her vagina and I had a white cottage cheese like material all over my penis and it was on her vagina as well. She thinks it's a yeast infection and says she got one once years ago. I began looking up yeast infections and my eyes begin to drift to one of the causes of such are HIV.

Any thoughts?

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

100 months ago

Thanks for the kind comments. Visit ASHA's (host of this forum) for excellent STD videos by several experts (www.ashasexualhealth.org).

My guess is you were overtested, including infections for which there was little or no risk. But why not HIV, for goodness' sake? The chance is exceedingly low, but it's also by far the most important to know about. However, there is no reason to suspect HIV in your wife. Her symptoms indeed sound like yeast, but most women get vaginal yeast infections from time to time, and HIV is no more common in those who do. To the extent that yeast can go along with HIV, it's for advanced infection, never as the only or first sign of recently acquired HIV.

Since HIV is obviously on your mind, you should be tested for reassurance. You can expect a negative result and shouldn't say anything to your wife. And of course she should contact her doctor for advice on confirming and treating her probable yeast infection.

That completes the two follow-ups that come with each question, so that concludes this thread. Thanks again for using the forum.

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