AboutMark 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 Co-Founder, Lesbian, Bisexual, & Gay Physician Assistant Caucus of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, Inc.;
Wisconsin Academy of Physician Assistants;
American Society of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ASCCP); Board of Directors, National Association of Black and White Men Together: A Gay, Multiracial Organization for All People (NABWMT)
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;
Distinguished Fellow, American Academy of Physician Assistants;
Fellow, Wisconsin Academy of Physician Assistants
Past/Present Clients Brady East STD Clinic, Milwaukee, WI
Question QUESTION: Hi, I appreciate you taking time to help me out - I'm an 18 year old male who lives in the United States, Oregon to be exact.
So I have these strange red spots/tiny red bumps (if they are bumps they are very, very small and hard to see a raise in skin) that appear on the head of my penis, and mostly underneath the glands. They have also recently appeared on the outside of my foreskin. (I'm not circumcised).
Before they would appear for a day or two, then disappear. The ones on the outside don't really bug me, but the ones on the inside itch if I am messing around in that area (like cleaning my penis in a shower.)
They first started after I began having sex about 3-4 months ago. Not right away, but I'm guessing the first appearance was a month or so after having sex. I have only had protected sex, except once with my girlfriend, due to a condom breaking, and we stopped after that point, so my penis was unprotected in her for a couple of seconds. She is the only partner I've had. I know she has had 2 other partners before me, one being a victim of rape, which she never reported. Just throwing that info out there incase it could be an STD?
I also thought it could be an allergic reaction to the condoms we were using, as on one particular kind the lubrication stings my penis when I wear the condom. However, I haven't used those condoms for a good three weeks or more.
They usually disappear, but this time is the worst I've had, and I believe the most of the little red spots. I noticed them yesterday, so I showered and cleaned my penis with anti-bacterial soap. This morning they looked a tad better, but they had spread to the outside of my foreskin. The area inside/under my glands is redder then usual, I'm guessing due to the irritation down there?
I have taken a couple pictures to help you identify my problem. Thanks in advance!
ANSWER: Hello Kel,
Thanks for your photos. These red areas are definitely inflammatory, probably due to a skin infection. If your partner does not have a sexually transmitted infection, like trichomonas, then I suspect it is a combination of irritation from lubricant, condoms, or just rubbing from either lack of lubrication, microtrauma from sex, and/or with some secondary infection from skin germs. Sorry that this is so non-specific!!
Treat you skin gently, use a topical antibiotic cream or ointment sparingly for a few days (twice daily), and I think it should get better.
Good luck!
--mark
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Hi Mark, thanks for the response.
The red bumps on the inside of my penis seemed to go away, I used Polysporin for a couple days on them. The ones on the foreskin are still there and visible a little bit.
Also, I had 7 strange red, irritated bumps show up on my stomach. Another showed up today on my waist line.They only itch every once and awhile, I've been using Polysporin on the first 7, and they seemed to dry and have a slight flake to the center and outward, but have not gone away.
Also, a couple of them had a pimple-like head to them, which I popped.
Answer Hi Again, Kel,
You have a skin infection causing folliculitis, inflammation of hair follicles. The probably cause are the common germs found on the skin, Staph aureus, Strep pyogenes, or simply staph and strep. They are not sexually transmitted in the strict sense,but can be caused by skin to skin contact and rubbing, and irritation of the hair follicles. Moist heat to the affected areas, followed by applying an antibiotic cream or ointment, will help to get rid of these bumps. Antibiotic soaps are not very effective for most people.
They also look like they may be bug bites. If they are accompanied by a lot of itching, then you can also use some calamine lotion, which has phenol in it, and that will help it feel better.
