Herpes mutual masturbation?

[street379]

Dear Dr
I mutually masturbated with another guy (a stranger) for about 10-15 minutes. I was careful he didn't touch my glans.  17 days later, while masturbating I noticed redness on the right and left of my glans, two triangular areas of inflammation stretching about 1 cm up from the glans base.  I put some hydrocortisone cream on my penis and continued masturbating.  Later that evening, I masturbated more, climaxed, and put more cream on before going to bed.

Next morning the two areas of inflammation had turned into open sores, like ulcers; there was some tiny pinpoint bleeding in places (mopped up with tissue).  The left sore seemed to have a bump in it.  Within 40 hours I had a swab taken, causing bleeding.  The result was negative for herpes, but also didn't indicate bacterial infection or yeast, just light flora and staph.

The sores healed by five days, and, after a week, the residual inflammation too, though my foreskin did go a bit red.  No blisters, just healing.

I have had balanitis in the past, yeast infection and probably bacterial infection (I have a foreskin and perhaps a slight disposition because I have Addison's disease, an endocrine disorder) and because of these past experiences have been tested quite frequently for herpes (Herpes Select and WB), with the latest about a year ago (negative).  However, these open sores were more dramatic than previous symptoms.  I have had no other sexual encounter in the last year.

My provider didn't think it looked like herpes (perhaps I was irritated by chemicals? friction?) but I am scared, my heart races and I am depressed.   Please advise.

[street379]

A related discussion, Last question was started.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

We are wasting each others time.  I've told you the exposure you had did not put you at risk for HSV, you have a negative culture and a negative HSV serology yet after three weeks you continue to ask unwarranted "what if" and "could it ever" questions.  There is no evidence that you have herpes and no reason to expect that you might have gotten HSV from the exposure you describe.  I have nothing more to say.

This will end this thread.  Further repetitive, unfounded questions will be delted without comment.  EWH

[street379]

The two areas in my glans were of raw skin, containing ulcer-like sores coalescing together (as herpes is sometimes described), and the unusual nature of this, combined with the coincidence of mutually masturbating 17 days before has had me very worried.

I therefore had a Herpes Select IGG at 10 weeks past exposure (8 past symptoms), which was negative.

Please, how accurate is the serology at this stage? What about if I combine the serology with the negative culture (taken at 40 hours past initial symptoms)?

Many thanks

[Edward W Hook, MD]

No, I have never seen a case of herpes transmitted by mutual masturbation.  EWH

[street379]

Dear Dr
You have helped me so much in calming my anxiety and racing heart.  Thank you.

Last question: have you seen a case of herpes through mutual masturbation? It just seems like it would be a plausible scenario, even though I pray it isn't

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Certainly ajax could cause this sort of irriation. As I said, there really is little to suggest HSV.  EWH

[street379]

Thank you so much for the swift reply.  My concern is that,unlike inflammation I have had with, say, candida, the sores were open, quite raw and wet, like you see in some pictures of herpes ulcers.

Do you think having Ajax scouring powder (with bleach) could have brought on some of the irritation? I had cleaned the bath with it a few days before the inflammation started, and I notice while bathing that for a few days that there was quite a lot of residual powder in the bath water.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

I agree with your provider. The story you tell is not suggestive of herpes. The lesions are not typical, they improved too quickly to be an initial episode of HSV and HSV is virtually never spread through masturbation.  My guess is that the combination of masturbation and the creams which can both irritate the skin and which can increase the chance of skin breakdown are the culprits here.  I see no need for further HSV testing or for worry. EWH