STI symptoms for TOP
STD symptoms you can get if you insert your penis into your partner’s anus.
Urinary Symptoms (commonest STD symptoms)
Pain or discomfort when passing urine – This is usually felt in the urine tube within the penis (urethra) or at the tip of the penis. Some people describe it as ‘burning’ some describe it as an ítch’. Gonorrhea usually causes more pain. Chlamydia less pain or hardly any pain at all, just a weird sensation. Trichomonas causes more itching.
Discharge from the penis - Yellow, white or clear liquid coming out from the tip of the penis. Gonorrhea usually causes more yellow and high volume discharge. In fact enough to make a whole mess of your clothes. Most of my patients with Gonorrhea have to put a tissue around the tip of the penis to collect the discharge. Chlamydia and NSU causes a discharge of much less volume and also less yellow.
Pain or discomfort in the testis - This is a symptoms quite classical of Chlamydia. The discomfort can range from being very mild to quite severe. There might even be some swelling of the scrotum but this is rare.
Ulcers - Do not mistake ulcers for lumps or pimples on the skin. Ulcers are actual breaks or craters on the skin. They are always wet looking. If the ulcers are painful, small (3mm to 5mm), multiple (3 to 5 at least) and are surrounded by red skin, it is likely to be Herpes. If there is only 1 ulcer, it is painless and rather big (8mm or bigger) it is likely to be Syphilis. If it is 1 ulcer, big and very painful with very swollen and painful lymph nodes along your groin crease, it is likely to be a Chancroid .
Growths - What we are talking about here are lumps and bumps on the skin. If the lump is skin colored and looks like a cauliflower, it is likely a wart caused by HPV. If the lumps look like little pearls stuck onto the skin, it is likely to be Molluscum Contagiosum Virus.
Blisters - Blisters are small fluid filled sacs on the skin. They look like little bubbles on the skin. These are almost always caused by Herpes.
Itch - This is typical of lice and scabies. The itch is usually very bad and persistent. It can be a lot worse at night. Under good lighting, the lice can actually be seen on the skin. It usually hides in dark hair bearing areas like underneath the scrotum.
These symptoms are called general symptoms because they can be caused by a variety of illnesses and not necessarily by STDs.
Fever - Basically anything and everything causes fever. From your common cold to HIV. So if you do develop a fever after a sexual exposure, see your doctor but there is no reason to panic.
Rash - Again a terribly non-specific symptom. Could be caused by an allergy or HIV or Syphilis. The HIV rash looks like measles and usually appears 3 weeks from exposure. The Syphilis rash looks like red spots with flaky skin around them. Classically they appear on the palms and soles which is rare for other rashes. They can appear anytime from 2 to 6 months after infection.
Swollen Lymph Nodes - The lymph nodes are part of the body’s natural defenses. When one part of the body is infected, the lymph nodes surrounding it will swell and sometimes become painful.
This is the way the body fights the infection. Swollen lymph nodes occur all the time. Even the common cold can cause lymph nodes to swell. If the lymph nodes along the groin crease (inguinal lymph nodes) are swollen, this can suggest infections like Herpes, Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, Chancroid. If other lymph nodes like on the neck or under the armpits are swollen, this is too general to know if they are caused by STDs or not.
Loss of appetite, feeling weak, loss of interest in smoking - I put these symptoms here because they can be caused by Hepatitis. But I’m sure you can appreciate that almost any illness, even anxiety, can cause these symptoms.
Prostatitis and Bareback
The most common cause of Prostatitis especially in young men is Infection. These are frequently Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) such as Chlamydia, Gonorrhea and NSU organisms such as Ureaplasma and Mycoplasma. Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) such as E. Coli, Klebsiella can also cause Prostatitis. Tuberculosis is a rare cause of Prostatitis.
MSM who are the "top" in anal sex are at a higher risk of contracting prostatitis.
What are the symptoms of Prostatitis?
Symptoms of Prostatitis vary greatly. Patients can suffer from systemic symptoms of infection including fever, chills and rigors. This is especially when the infection of the prostate is quite severe and caused by an Infection.
More localized symptoms include pain when passing urine, erectile dysfunction, discharge from the penis, a heaviness or dragging sensation in the scrotum and pain at the tip of the penis.! Other symptoms include a constant need to go to the toilet to pass urine, low back pain, muscles aches, poor flow when passing urine or pain during ejaculation.
What do I do if I suspect I have Prostatitis?
The examination might involve a Digital Rectal Examination (DRE). This is done by the Doctor gently inserting a lubricated gloved finger into your rectum to feel for your prostate. The process itself is not painful. However, you might feel some pain when the Doctor presses on your prostate gland.
What are the treatments for Prostatitis?
Treatment for Prostatitis depends on the cause. Infections are treated with antibiotics, nerve stabilizers and anti-inflammatories.Doctor might also ask you to have repeat visits for prostatic massage.
Electro Shock Wave treatment to the prostate induces inflammation and has been used successfully in the treatment of Chronic Prostatic Pain. This is a painless procedure where a machine is used to send Shock Waves into the prostate.