Herpes and More

Herpes and More

herpes symptoms

I have been seeing a girl for some time now and I recently found Acyclovir in her medicine cabinet. Now I know what Acyclovir is -- my boy in college had to take it, poor guy. Anyway, so I asked her about it and she told me that it's for her lips.

Now I thought it was used for herpes, and I thought that herpes 1 or 2 can be spread. So let's say, if she performs oral sex on me (which she already has) that I could get herpes. Am I way off base here? Dear Lord, I hope so. When I found the bottle, I had a small heart attack, so please let me know either way so I can do something about it.

Anonymous Reader

Hi there,

Your thinking was right: Acyclovir is used to treat herpes. While it will not cure herpes infections, it does decrease the irritation associated with them and encourages healing.

Acyclovir, however, can be used as a treatment for other conditions. It is sometimes prescribed to those suffering from chicken pox, shingles or mononucleosis. It can also be used to counter leukoplakia, a viral infection that produces a white or gray patch on the surface of the body. Leukoplakia usually develops in the mouth, but can occur on the female genitalia.

While there's no cure for herpes, it doesn't pose a danger to most who contract it. It's a chronic condition; a nuisance to live with, but one you can live with nonetheless. Of course, none of this is to suggest that it is a desirable condition. Have a sit-down with your girlfriend and find out exactly what she's suffering from -- don't torture yourself any further by leaving it to your imagination.

TMS

you missed a spot

I am a 23-year-old male who was circumcised as a child. However, I still have a piece of foreskin that is attached to the base of my penis. It does not hurt, except for the times when I have long periods of sex or masturbation. I would say about 5% of the foreskin is still attached and 95% is not. Is this normal? Could this potentially lead to any health problems? Do you think I should have doctor take look at this?

If you could let me know, that would be great. Thanks for your help.

Anonymous II

Hello,

Like all surgical procedures, circumcision isn't foolproof. It is pretty close, though; for every 1,000 circumcisions performed, it is estimated that only two result in complications. For that unlucky 0.2%, the ensuing problems can vary widely in terms of pain and lifestyle disruption.

On one end of the scale, a circumcision can go severely awry, resulting in infection, a bending of the penis, the development of cysts at the incision site, or even an inadvertent amputation of the glans, or head, of the penis. So, while it's unfortunate that you fell into that minute 0.2% percentage, you can consider yourself lucky that you escaped with only an incomplete circumcision.

You may still, however, be at risk of developing further complications. Incomplete circumcision can sometimes lead to phimosis, a narrowing of the foreskin opening. It's never too late to have that circumcision completed properly, so book an appointment with your urologist and have him see what he can do about it.

TMS

a red flag

Just today during one of my daily urinations my pee was a brownish color, and naturally this took me by surprise and I was a bit worried. Halfway through my duties, thick, snot-like, bloody chunks came out.

I'm afraid it might be an STD, and don't know what to do. I didn't know who else to ask about this.

Anonymous III

Hello,

There's obviously a problem here. For further specifics, however, you'll have to visit a health care professional.

Blood in the urine, or hematuria, can be caused by many conditions, most of which are happily not serious ones. A simple urinary tract infection, or even a spirited bout of exercise, can produce red blood cells in the urine. Unhappily, hematuria can also be indicative or more worrisome conditions, such as kidney disease.

The fact that you're also encountering solids in your urine stream will help a doctor reach an accurate prognosis -- this combination of symptoms can be indicative of a number of specific conditions. Go see your doctor as soon as you can.

TMS

closet case?

Every time my boyfriend and I have sex, he always insists on playing with my butt -- with his fingers, penis, toys, etc. One time during foreplay, he suggested I play with his butt too using the toy -- which at that time got me excited cause I felt like I was in control. Anyway, it became part of our play every time we would have sex -- to the point where he had me wear a strap-on, so I can do him in the butt! At the time I thought that was sexy! However, lately, it's kinda grossing me out and somehow it's making me think that he might be gay.

He always wants me to wear the strap-on so I can do him in the butt while he licks a dildo or sometimes he has me lick the dildo while he pretends to masturbate my strap-on. And the thing is, he hardly penetrates me, we always just finish off using our toys doing all this kinky stuff; we're always just masturbating each other using our sex toys. Might he be gay?

Anonymous IV

Hi,

Yes, it's possible that your boyfriend's gay. It's also possible that he's simply developed a taste for having his male G-spot, or prostate gland, stimulated, and he wouldn't be the first guy to do so. Many men have difficulties broaching the stigma of anal stimulation, and can't get past the misplaced idea that enjoying anal play somehow exposes them as a homosexual. It's likely that your boyfriend is just sexually secure enough to pursue the pleasure that anal play gives him without fear of its negative connotations.

I can understand, however, that his tendency to masturbate your strap-on might also produce some pings on your "gaydar." In any case, it seems that his love of toys has grown into something of a fetish. This isn't a problem in and of itself, but it certainly can be when it detracts from one partner's enjoyment of sex. Sit him down, and set him straight (no pun intended).

TMS

leaky faucet

I have read many of your articles and find them very informative. I hope you will be able to provide me with some advice. I'm a 27-year-old male, in good health, average height, and slightly underweight. For as long as I can remember, I have had the following problems:

1- After urination, my penis continues to leak (small amounts) urine for a couple of minutes. This makes it very difficult to use a urinal in the men's room because I have to stand around for a couple minutes after urinating in order to make sure it has stopped leaking. So, I usually try to use the toilet so I can use several bathroom tissues to "wipe" the leaks after I finish urinating. Therefore, it always takes me a couple of extra minutes in the bathroom just to urinate.

2- After ejaculation, I continue to leak (small amounts) of semen. I've also noticed that the volume of my ejaculation is not that much. But the leaking lasts anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes after I ejaculate.

3- I can't seem to hold off ejaculation. It takes only one to two minutes before I ejaculate. I don't have a problem getting an erection. I can usually get a second erection within 30 minutes after ejaculating (even though I might still have small amounts of semen leaking at the tip of my penis).

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Anonymous V

Anon V,

The third problem that you describe is quite a common one, and you can find many strategies to deal with it on both AskMen.com and other websites. The first two, which seem related, will require more than home research to remedy.

A leaky penis could be as simple as a need to exercise your pubococcygeus (or PC) muscle, it may be the product of a tract infection, or it may even be a muscle or nerve problem that causes the bladder to release urine abnormally.

Diagnosing what the specific issue is usually involves a cystometry. I'll be frank with you: A cystometry isn't the most pleasant procedure. It can involve some rather intrusive techniques, such as the filling of the bladder with water or gas (to measure its retention abilities) or the insertion of a catheter into the rectum. But it's still usually preferable to the alternative, which is to let this frustrating condition persist.

TMS

nothing from nothing

In your anal sex tips, you mention that a guy should always wear a condom during anal sex to prevent getting an STD like HIV. What if neither partner has ever had an STD and we were both virgins when we met each other? Is there still a chance to get an STD from either anal sex or vaginal sex?

Anonymous VI

Hello,

If both partners have been tested and it has been established that neither has an STD, there is no possibility of transmission of an STD. For anal sex, you may still wish to use some lubricant, if only for your partner's comfort.

TMS