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Possible HSV1 or STD from handjob with saliva?
I'm not sure if I am the most unlucky person on the planet, or if this is actually a possibility. I've done lots of research on the subject, and there are very conflicting statements for this particular subject in regards to just saliva being able to transmit an STD.
Three weeks ago I received just a handjob from a new partner. We literally didn't kiss, did not engage in oral, vaginal, or anal sex. She gave me a handjob and directly spat on my penis once or twice, and well as spat on her hand to use it as lube. I literally thought this was the lowest risk activity that we could partake in. She also did not seem to be experiencing any symptoms, and I so no visible cold sores or sores at all on her lips or face.
Fast forward to two weeks after the encounter I developed a singular sore on the head of my penis near my foreskin, it started as a red dot that was a tiny bit painful, and over the course of a few days turned into a sore... still extremely tiny, and only painful if directly touched (showering etc). I really didn't experience other symptoms besides the sore. Based off of this and the extensive research I've done online, it can only be either HSV1 or Syphilis.
I was seen by a doctor who pretty much wasn't able to give me any direct answers, he said it was VERY unlikely I caught something this way, and if I did it was most likely HSV1, it which case it would be hard to him to diagnose as most people have HSV1 antibodies anyways. He pretty much told me to ride it out.
My question is... could this be genital HSV1? It's not presenting like normal herpes, and I don't seem to have many other symptoms. OR could this be Syphilis... but I didn't think it could be transmitted through saliva and I also her it would not be painful.
Please any help would be greatly appreciate, I don't even care if it is HSV1 at this point as I know I can handle it will antivirals etc.
Three weeks ago I received just a handjob from a new partner. We literally didn't kiss, did not engage in oral, vaginal, or anal sex. She gave me a handjob and directly spat on my penis once or twice, and well as spat on her hand to use it as lube. I literally thought this was the lowest risk activity that we could partake in. She also did not seem to be experiencing any symptoms, and I so no visible cold sores or sores at all on her lips or face.
Fast forward to two weeks after the encounter I developed a singular sore on the head of my penis near my foreskin, it started as a red dot that was a tiny bit painful, and over the course of a few days turned into a sore... still extremely tiny, and only painful if directly touched (showering etc). I really didn't experience other symptoms besides the sore. Based off of this and the extensive research I've done online, it can only be either HSV1 or Syphilis.
I was seen by a doctor who pretty much wasn't able to give me any direct answers, he said it was VERY unlikely I caught something this way, and if I did it was most likely HSV1, it which case it would be hard to him to diagnose as most people have HSV1 antibodies anyways. He pretty much told me to ride it out.
My question is... could this be genital HSV1? It's not presenting like normal herpes, and I don't seem to have many other symptoms. OR could this be Syphilis... but I didn't think it could be transmitted through saliva and I also her it would not be painful.
Please any help would be greatly appreciate, I don't even care if it is HSV1 at this point as I know I can handle it will antivirals etc.
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What makes you unlucky here is that your doctor sucked really, really badly.
If you had hsv1 antibodies, the chances of you getting genital hsv1 is essentially zero in the absence of an outbreak, and if you had a sore, it could have been cultured. Hsv is only spread in saliva when the saliva makes contact with a herpes outbreak or shedding.
Syphilis isn't painful. The timing could work, but the symptoms really don't, and syphilis is spread by direct skin to skin contact - you'd need to come into direct contact with her mouth or genitals with a sore present.
There are actually other things that this could be, and your doctor could have and should have cultured it. It could be staph, MRSA, balanitis, a regular pimple... lots of things.
Have you had any other encounters recently? Anyone who's given you oral sex can give you genital herpes type 1. 2/3 of adults under 50 have it globally.
So how long have you had it? When did the doctor see it? Can you get to another doc and have them PCR swab it? Do some wound culturing?
Hands don't transmit STDs, and spit doesn't either. If you've had any other encounters, though, this could be an STD.
If you had hsv1 antibodies, the chances of you getting genital hsv1 is essentially zero in the absence of an outbreak, and if you had a sore, it could have been cultured. Hsv is only spread in saliva when the saliva makes contact with a herpes outbreak or shedding.
Syphilis isn't painful. The timing could work, but the symptoms really don't, and syphilis is spread by direct skin to skin contact - you'd need to come into direct contact with her mouth or genitals with a sore present.
There are actually other things that this could be, and your doctor could have and should have cultured it. It could be staph, MRSA, balanitis, a regular pimple... lots of things.
Have you had any other encounters recently? Anyone who's given you oral sex can give you genital herpes type 1. 2/3 of adults under 50 have it globally.
So how long have you had it? When did the doctor see it? Can you get to another doc and have them PCR swab it? Do some wound culturing?
Hands don't transmit STDs, and spit doesn't either. If you've had any other encounters, though, this could be an STD.
2 Comments
Thank you for your response. As in the last two months, almost going on two and half months I've had no other encounters. It would have to be from this one.
Years ago, I had a blood test for Herpes done and it was said I did have some HSV1 antibodies in my system, so yes I've been exposed to it at some point in my life. Therefore, very interesting to hear I'd somewhat be immune to getting it below the belt... if I am understanding you correctly?
Ok, glad to hear it's not Syphilis. I had no direct contact with her, other than her hand and saliva. I did finger her a few minutes prior, but was wearing my pants, and being a clean freak... I washed my hands with soap and hot water before removing my pants for my handjob.
It's not a regular pimple, even now... it's small but it looks almost like a tiny canker sore, with a bit of a grey center. I can tell it's trying to heal, but I guess being under the foreskin makes it hard to heal. It's definitely a sore.
I can go back and ask for a culture... I'm shocked they never asked me for this to be honest. Like if all I need to do is take some antibiotics, then please let me. Not sure why they were not willing to help me.
No other encounters since August now that I think about it. And no symptoms before this one.... I'm scratching my head.
Years ago, I had a blood test for Herpes done and it was said I did have some HSV1 antibodies in my system, so yes I've been exposed to it at some point in my life. Therefore, very interesting to hear I'd somewhat be immune to getting it below the belt... if I am understanding you correctly?
Ok, glad to hear it's not Syphilis. I had no direct contact with her, other than her hand and saliva. I did finger her a few minutes prior, but was wearing my pants, and being a clean freak... I washed my hands with soap and hot water before removing my pants for my handjob.
It's not a regular pimple, even now... it's small but it looks almost like a tiny canker sore, with a bit of a grey center. I can tell it's trying to heal, but I guess being under the foreskin makes it hard to heal. It's definitely a sore.
I can go back and ask for a culture... I'm shocked they never asked me for this to be honest. Like if all I need to do is take some antibiotics, then please let me. Not sure why they were not willing to help me.
No other encounters since August now that I think about it. And no symptoms before this one.... I'm scratching my head.
Yes, since you had hsv1 prior to this - if you have antibodies, you have hsv1 - you can not get it again.
I can't tell you what the sore is, but a culture could. I wish I could say I'm shocked they didn't offer that to you, but the absolute suckage of doctors doesn't surprise me anymore. Let me know what happens if you go back.
I can't tell you what the sore is, but a culture could. I wish I could say I'm shocked they didn't offer that to you, but the absolute suckage of doctors doesn't surprise me anymore. Let me know what happens if you go back.
UPDATE - I know a lot of people post on here looking for help and then never come back to update people. I wanted to post so that maybe this could help someone else.
When I initially was seen by a doctor, he had swabbed my sore, but it was not a culture, he was specifically checking for HSV. I didn't know at the time, but I later found out this was a PCR swab.
I saw a second doctor who reviewed my swab results with me - negative, when I questioned the reliability/accuracy of this swab, she told me the PCR test is the gold standard for herpes, and that it is extremely accurate, not only because your swabbing the sore, but you don't specifically need fluid, it also takes cells from my skin and can detect "shedding" even if the sore is healing etc. She told me based on the results, she concluded 95% that I do not have herpes. Slightly bewildered, we ordered another STD panel, just because the first one was done around 8/9 days of exposure and would be way too early to detect things like Syphilis. These tests were done at about 5 and half, 6 weeks after exposure. I just got the results back this week, once again all negative.
Therefore, the doctor concurred that definitely do not have an std and that I do not have herpes. While this was slightly relieving.... I am still left with the question, what the heck was the tiny sore on my penis for almost two weeks? Sure it could have been fungal or bacterial, but I've never had a break in my skin on my penis before... so very random. Since the sore has gone away, everything is back to normal. I've decided to let my anxiety go, and affirm in the fact I've done my due diligence. I feel I can safely go back to being sexual active, and close this crappy chapter of my life which lasted a whole two months. While I wasn't given a direct answer, I can at-least know I did everything in my power to figure this out.
If you're going through something like this, just be stern with your doctors and ask for the proper tests, no matter their opinions!
When I initially was seen by a doctor, he had swabbed my sore, but it was not a culture, he was specifically checking for HSV. I didn't know at the time, but I later found out this was a PCR swab.
I saw a second doctor who reviewed my swab results with me - negative, when I questioned the reliability/accuracy of this swab, she told me the PCR test is the gold standard for herpes, and that it is extremely accurate, not only because your swabbing the sore, but you don't specifically need fluid, it also takes cells from my skin and can detect "shedding" even if the sore is healing etc. She told me based on the results, she concluded 95% that I do not have herpes. Slightly bewildered, we ordered another STD panel, just because the first one was done around 8/9 days of exposure and would be way too early to detect things like Syphilis. These tests were done at about 5 and half, 6 weeks after exposure. I just got the results back this week, once again all negative.
Therefore, the doctor concurred that definitely do not have an std and that I do not have herpes. While this was slightly relieving.... I am still left with the question, what the heck was the tiny sore on my penis for almost two weeks? Sure it could have been fungal or bacterial, but I've never had a break in my skin on my penis before... so very random. Since the sore has gone away, everything is back to normal. I've decided to let my anxiety go, and affirm in the fact I've done my due diligence. I feel I can safely go back to being sexual active, and close this crappy chapter of my life which lasted a whole two months. While I wasn't given a direct answer, I can at-least know I did everything in my power to figure this out.
If you're going through something like this, just be stern with your doctors and ask for the proper tests, no matter their opinions!
1 Comments
Ohh okay I take back the sucky comments about your doctor - the PCR swab is great. That is indeed the gold standard, and if you had symptoms, and no herpes was detected, it wasn't herpes.
I can't say what the sore was either - as you said, maybe fungal, maybe a pimple, etc. You may never know. If it ever comes back, maybe they can do more testing - a biopsy, a wound culture to see if any bacteria or viral matter grows.
In any case, thanks so much for the update! Best to you. :)
I can't say what the sore was either - as you said, maybe fungal, maybe a pimple, etc. You may never know. If it ever comes back, maybe they can do more testing - a biopsy, a wound culture to see if any bacteria or viral matter grows.
In any case, thanks so much for the update! Best to you. :)
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You are reading content posted in the STDs / STIs Community
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Millions of people are diagnosed with STDs in the U.S. each year.
STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
