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About Mark Behar
Expertise
Almost any question or concern about sexually transmitted infections, abnormal Pap smears, anal cytology (anal "Pap smears"), gay men's health issues.
There is no such thing as “d/d free” or “clean” (free of infection), so why do so many of us deceive ourselves into thinking that some people are indeed totally free from a potentially infectious disease, like HIV, herpes, hepatitis, syphilis, chlamydia, warts, gonorrhea, etc., just because they say so? Clinical laboratory tests are not perfect, and having a “negative” or “nonreactive” test does not mean that a person is free from infection. Perhaps at the moment the test was taken, the person was uninfected; or, perhaps, the test wasn’t sensitive enough to detect presence of the infection. There is really no way that anyone can determine that they are truly “disease free,” and there are over a hundred of infectious conditions that can be spread without your knowing anything.
Rather than trying to “prescreen” or “serosort” a potential sex-mate with deceptive questions that are impossible to know by today’s technologies, a wiser option may be to consider everyone infected with something, and either use appropriate protective measures (“safer sex”), or accept the responsibility and conseqences of possibly “catching” something from someone who’s hotter than expected (pun intended!).
There is much research that supports the contention that an HIV positive person reliably taking HIV medications, and having an undetectable viral load, presents a lower risk for transmission of HIV than people who may think or say they are HIV negative, but are not. Food for thought!
Experience
Family Practice PA since 1981;
Volunteer Clinician for Brady East STD (BESTD) Clinic, Milwaukee, since 1977; answer STD questions submitted to their web site.
Professionally lectured at national and regional Physician Assistant and Nurse Practitioner conferences, and at national gay & lesbian health conferences on topics including HIV/AIDS, herpes, hepatitis, STDs, human papilloma virus (the cause of venereal warts), abnormal Pap smears, gay and lesbian health issues, among others.
Organizations
Distinguished Fellow, American Academy of Physician Assistants; Co-Founder, Lesbian, Bisexual, & Gay Physician Assistant Caucus of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, Inc.;
Wisconsin Academy of Physician Assistants;
Florida Academy of Physician Assistants;
American Society of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ASCCP)
Publications
Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants (JAPA)
Education/Credentials
Physician Assistant Certified, since 1982;
Masters in Physician Assistant Studies;
Colposcopy Recognition Award, American Society of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ASCCP);
Awards and Honors
Colposcopy Recognition Award (CRA), from the American Association of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology
Past/Present Clients
Brady East STD Clinic, Milwaukee, WI
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You are here: Experts > Teens > Health for Teens > Sexually Transmitted Diseases > white discharge from penis
Expert: Mark Behar
Date: 10/13/2008
Subject: white discharge from penis
Question
hello, for the past week i have noticed that i seem to have the symptoms of Chlamydia or Gonorrhea. the last time i had sex was about a month before i
started to notice any symptoms at all, and i have never had sex without a
condom. Also it seems that the symptoms are starting to go away on their
own and i have not been to the doctor yet. i was wondering if it is possible
that i don't have an std, considering i have never had sex without a condom
on, and if my problem could be something else. my symptoms were a very
tender penis, red tip of the penis, and a white to almost yellowish discharge,
but all that remains is the discharge which is getting less and less by day. If
the discharge stops and i feel there is nothing wrong anymore, should i still
go see a doctor and explain what i have gone through? What else other then
an std could have affected me so? What are the risks if symptoms stop and i
do not go to see my doctor? Any advice or info you can give me would be
greatly appreciated
Answer
Hi J,
The potential danger of having untreated gonorrhea or chlamydia is too great to not have a routine urine test (at your local free clinic, if there is one, or your doctor) to rule that out. Epididymitis, which can be a very painful testicular disorder, can result.
What other things can cause this disturbing situation? Well, if you haven't had sex for awhile (I can't say how long this would be), and if you are somewhat constipated, then stool accumulating in the rectum can inadvertently push against the prostate gland, essentially milking some prostatic fluid through the penis. Not common,but possible.
What do you mean, a "tender penis"? Tender to touch everywhere on the shaft, or just at the tip? Tenderness with erection or ejaculation, or just "laying" there? Pain is a disturbing symptom, and should be investigated by a knowledgeable health care provider.
Good luck!
--mark
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