Frequent Redness On Head of Penis and within Forskin

[worried834]

One day while in the shower I noticed that parts of my forskin were extremely red.. I am an uncircumsized male in his mide 20's. Some of the redness also affected parts of my penis head. There weren't any open sores or blisters. After a few days of continued washing the condition seemed to go away. I also noticed that in the mornings upon waking up, the redness was very minimal and almost hard to detect. In the evenings however, the redness would increase in it's intensity.

A week or so passed, and I noticed the same symptoms reoccur, even though I took very good hygienic care washing daily. Again, I'd wash etc and the condition would go away in a day or two..

I was extremely concerned that this was herpes, so I went to a local STD clinic, was tested for chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis (no test for herpes was administered). A technician at the clinic examined my penis at my request since I was extremely concerned about herpes.. He didn't seem at all concerned and just told me to make sure I dry my penis well after washing and the condition should go away.

8 months have passed since, and I still frequently notice this type of irritation. The opening of my urethra is also regularly red near the bottom part of it, and I continue to get these irritated patches on my penis head and on the inside of my foreskin probably every few weeks on average. It's just redness, no broken skin, ulcerations, pussing or swelling.

I was wondering what your opinion is on these kinds of symptoms? I'm very much concerned that it's herpes for some reason, but based on all of the pictures i've seen it looks nothing like it, and tends to clear up very quickly in comparison.

Thanks very much

[auntiejessi]

You don't have to "catch" a fungal infection - it can develop all on its own, and its quite common.  Jock itch is a fungal infection.

Aj

[worried834]

lol.. 50 was a bit of an exaggeration.. It is on my mind often and does cause me quite a bit of anxiety, but is well within my control :)  It's just been a huge nuisance..

I didn't mention this before but, I experimented  with vaginal cream for yeast infections (all I could think of), applying it to my penis.. Within a day or so, this would make the symptoms disappear completely.  Possibly more indication that it is indeed some kind of fungal infection. How I may have caught it is a mystery.

[auntiejessi]

Not longer than a couple of weeks, give or take.

And examining yourself 50 times a day is insane.  If you can't keep it to once a day, then you might want to talk to your doctor about obsessive thoughts.

Aj

[worried834]

How long do herpes symptoms typically last from the point at which they are first noticed?

I've become completely obsessed with this, I probably examine myself 50 times a day..

[worried834]

Yes, I've noticed that sexual activity can cause it or make it worse. I first noticed it a little while after having unprotected sex, part of the reason why i've been freaking out and obsessing over it.

[xoxolisandraxoxo]

Have you been sexually active before that happens?  The reason why I ask is because my ex-boyfriend used to get that on the head of his penis after having sex with me. He was circumsized tho. We had been together for years and neither of us had an STD.  We were often checked.  It happened to us like 3 times and he even doubted me once because there were a lot of red bumps on it.  It went away in a matter of days but I used to always think it was my vaginal fluids that caused it.  I am not an expert but I think that maybe it could've been the soap he washed himself with or me!  I don't know if this helps at all but just so you know it was never anything bad.  Herpes has a lot of other symptoms I believe and the ulcers are very noticeable and ugly by the way.

[auntiejessi]

I'd think fungal infections.  If it were herpes, you'd have noticed sores by now, and herpes symptoms wouldn't be occurring with this frequency.

I think that your doctor saying to make sure you dried things well points to a fungal infection - fungus thrives in moist, dark areas, such as under the foreskin.

Aj

[samviddo]

bro i have the same problems but now  i have 2 bumps on my forskin, i been tested for stds and everything seems normal. loook up scrabies its the same effects good luck

[worried834]

I forgot to add that the redness occurs in patchy areas typically.