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Answered Questions

In the years since SmartSexResource launched, we have developed a library of questions asked by you, and answered by our expert sexual health nurses.

Our answered questions library cover a broad range of sexual health topics and common questions we hear at our clinics.

STI Symptoms (136)

I was treated for chlamydia a week ago after the doctor told my symptoms were common to those of chlamydia. I tried having sex tonight and it burned over never experienced this before, it was very painful especially when I went to pee after whats wrong with me what should I do

Hi

A week after taking the medication you should be fine with the chlamydia in terms of it being gone and not passing it on.

There are a couple possibilities that could be happening.

The first one is that it is really common for people not to have symptoms of chlamydia. Is it possible that you could have had sex with an untreated partner during the week after you were treated for chlamydia (I am guessing you were given the one dose treatment). If this is the case you should get the treatment again.

Another possibility is that STI like chlamydia can cause the area to swell up and even though the chlamydia is gone the genitals can still be tender and take a few weeks to settle down to normal.

Another possibility is that there is something else going on for example the chlamydia was found but maybe there was something else as well, maybe the antibiotics started a bit of a yeast infection etc…

To be on the safe side it is probably best to go back to the clinic that gave you the chlamydia treatment and discuss your symptoms with them, they would be able to do an assessment and let you know the most likely cause of your symptoms.

Let us know if this does not answer your question or if you have any further questions or concerns.

Health Nurse

I have penile discharge and my private part burning is it gonorrhea

Hi

It’s possible that it could be gonorrhea as it is common for this to cause discharge from the penis and pain when urinating.

There are also other STI that can cause similar symptoms as well for example chlamydia.

I would recommend going to a clinic to have it looked at. They will do some testing for you as well as probably offer you some treatment given the symptoms you are experiencing, let us know if you need help finding a clinic in your area.

It’s also likely that the person who passed this to you is experiencing no symptoms for example, it’s common for gonorrhea to show no symptoms when it is in the throat, rectum or vagina. Given this we always recommend if someone tests positive for a STI like gonorrhea or chlamydia that they inform past sexual partners they have had over the last 2 months.

Let us know if this does not answer your question or if you have any further questions or concerns.

Health Nurse

Hi, I am gay and gave unprotected oral sex to another male twice in June: one was on June 4th and the other is on June 19th. My question is whether I had high risk exposures to hiv. What I could make sure are that I didn’t have ulcer, gum bleeding or sore throat. But I didn’t know whether I had other cuts in my mouth which I never realized. The first oral sex was pretty short and he didn’t jerk in my mouth. The second one is longer but did not jerk in my mouth either. However I know pre cum can also carry virus, and that’s why I feel panic. I don’t know his status, but looks like a healthy person… and usually be top (he said he never have sex with others without condom) and seldom give oral sex to others…I did not notice any symptoms until June 20, the day I started to be anxious about hiv issue. I got low fever (never higher than37.3 armpit); and tiredness. I got a hiv test on June 25 and the result was negative. Low fever healed itself in no more than two weeks. I got folliculitis in July, but I know it is common to me. A relatively severe one in recent years but not the most horrible one in my life. It’s getting better now. By the way I’m 23. However I learned that folliculitis could also be a symptom. Today is July 25 and I noticed I got low fever again. Probably caused by I didn’t close the window during sleeping at night or staying in a cold library for couple of hours… I don’t know. But it did make me feel anxious again. Another symptom is swollen lymph nodes… I guess they are lymph nodes. I got two on my neck. One disappeared in one week and the other is getting smaller. I sometimes get one or two on my neck, so it is not a rare thing to me.Do u recommend me to do another test as soon as possible (July 30) or wait for another week to complete the six weeks period after my second oral sex.Sorry for writing this long. Thank you for your patience and help.

Hi,

Thanks for writing.

Unprotected oral sex is low-risk for HIV. If the oral sex you describe is your only risk factor for HIV we would not recommend re-testing at this time.

While it’s possible in theory for HIV to be transmitted through oral sex, it is very rare. Even if you had ulcers in your mouth, the risk is still low for HIV. The fact that there was no full ejaculate (only exposure to pre-cum) further reduces the chance of HIV being transmitted.

Regarding your symptoms, it’s very difficult to diagnose HIV based on symptoms. The symptoms caused by HIV are also very common to other health concerns, and are not specific enough to suggest HIV infection. Folliculitis is a common skin condition experienced by all people (HIV negative and HIV positive).

Lots of people feel anxious about HIV. It’s very normal for people have complicated emotions after having new sexual partners, or experiences. Some people will think their HIV test has to be positive even when they’ve had multiple negative tests. For more ideas about managing these kinds of emotions check out our Worry & Anxiety page.

Please feel free to comment below or submit another question as needed.

Health Nurse

Hello, about 1 week ago I had a very drunk night and I had sex with 8 girls and a friend of mine told me about one of the girls and how she might have aids or an sti because she’s a sex worker. I’m a teenager and I’m so afraid. I haven’t been checked yet because I am on a vacation with my family and I’ve litterally had no physical contact with any of my family members. I’ve read for hours on symptoms and sti’s. I have a metallic taste in my mouth. Tastes like blood and one time the very tip of my penis hurt for about 10 seconds on and off. I’ve never experienced these feelings. I’ve had sleepless nights and I’m going to get checked right when I get back. What can I do in the mean time and what do those things mean. Please answer my questions

Hi

It can certainly be a stressful time waiting to get tested when someone is worried about what happened. It can be difficult to go off the symptoms you are experiencing as these can be caused by many different conditions or things that you have had before, but did not pay much attention to them because you were not worried about anything.

Symptoms to be concerned about would be if you start getting discharge from your penis, if it hurts when you pee on a regular basis, if you feel like an awareness/itch in your pee tube or if you get sores in the genital area. If this happens it would be good to go to a clinic sooner, but I am unsure how long you will be away or if you will be able to go to a clinic at your holiday place sooner. We normally tell people to wait 2 weeks before getting an STI test for the best accuracy but if you get any of the above symptoms go in straight away. 

I would recommend doing anything that can reduce the stress of waiting to get tested. You probably have had stress in the past and you may already have some techniques that can help with this for example exercise, going for walks, listening to music, watching movies etc…

Also have a look at our worry page it has some helpful hints on what people can do to reduce the stress while waiting to get tested.
 

Let us know if this did not answer your question or if you have any other questions or concerns.

Health Nurse

Hi Sir,I had received oral sex from a transgender. She had used condom. But I am not sure, whether that condom is teared,That transgender is HIV affected, and She had enough bleeding on her mouth.From the next 2 days onwards, I have body pain and tiredness, even my joints are paining little bit. So I am afraid of this.Could you please advise me if there is any chance of HIV infected and any tests that need to be taken.Thanks a lot if I receive a reply from you.

Hi,

Thanks for your question.

We do not see HIV passed to people receiving oral sex.

Condoms protect against HIV, and it is usually very noticeable when condoms break or tear.

Even if the condom was torn, the chance of getting HIV from that experience is still very, very low. Any blood in the mouth would be diluted by the mouth saliva.

Also, if you were exposed to HIV the symptoms would not show up for 2 weeks. Symptoms starting 2 days after receiving oral sex are not related to HIV, but could be related to Syphilis.

If you are concerned about HIV, we would recommend getting an HIV test, as that is the only way to know your status.

If your symptoms persist, we would recommend going to see a healthcare professional in person.

For more information about the HIV risks of oral sex, check out our Know Your Chances – Oral Sex chart.

Hope this helps,

Health Nurse

Hello thereHsv1 oral , if no lesions occur 1 month pass , i had only close mouth kiss 5 sec ,as your site mentioned for both hsv1 and hsv2 incubation period 5 to 21 days ?And , hsv1 is it deadly ? What about encephalitis I read its danger in new borns or with immune system problem as caused by hiv

Hi,

Thanks for your question.

Brief, closed-mouth kissing like you described is low risk, but it is possible for HSV (herpes) to be passed even with brief contact.

You’re correct that when a person is exposed to HSV we would expect to see symptoms develop by 21 days. If you have not seen any lesions appear by 21 days, you can assume you did not come in contact with HSV from that specific encounter.

HSV is usually not dangerous, and it is rare to have any complications with HSV-1 or 2. Encephalitis from HSV is very rare. There can be some danger to new born babies if the mother has open lesions on their genitals while giving birth. There is anti-viral medication that pregnant people can use to prevent lesions during childbirth. For people living with HIV, we rarely see complications with HSV. If you are living with HIV and have questions about HSV please feel free to submit another question for more information.

Hope this helps.

Health Nurse

7 weeks ago i performed unprotected oral sex (vaginal and rimming) and during vaginal fingering she began bleeding and i got some on my face and in my mouth. She was very surprised by this because it had never occurred prior and she was between periods. She later informed me she had HPV 8 months earlier but it went away on its own. I’ve been tested and found negative for all testable STI’s but I’m concerned about oral HPV. I’ve had a sore throat on and off ever since the incident with some green mucous, tingling at my nostrils and some green mucous with some blood from my nose and numbness on my lips. I tend to worry a lot. What are your thoughts. Thanks

Hi,

Thanks for writing.

The symptoms you are describing are not related to HPV.

HPV is often asymptomatic, meaning there can be so symptoms at all. Sometimes HPV can create warts (or bumps) on the genitals. Warts from HPV are painless, skin-colored bumps that usually go away on their own.

HPV does not cause sore throats, green mucous, nose bleeds, or lip numbness. However, if those symptoms persist we would recommend going to see a healthcare provider in person.

HPV can be passed through oral sex, but it is not passed through blood. Seeing blood come from your partner does not increase your chance of getting HPV.

HPV is passed through direct skin-to-skin contact. HPV can be passed to the mouth and throat during oral sex, but we do not see people getting warts in the throat or mouth.

It’s unusual for your partner to know that she had HPV 8. There is no routine testing for HPV, and people are not expected to know their ‘HPV status’ the same way they know their ‘HIV status’. The fact that your partner had cleared the HPV means it’s unlikely that you would have gotten it from her at that time.

We know that lots of people get HPV. In fact, we estimate that over 75% of people carry HPV at some point in their lives. That’s most people! If you ever see a bump on the genitals we can identify it, but if you’ve never had symptoms it’s very hard to say if you’ve ever been exposed.

There are many types of HPV, but they fall into two categories: One kind causes benign (or harmless) warts on the genitals. The other kind has been linked to some cancers, but this kind is always invisible (and doesn’t create warts). So, if you ever get genital warts you know they are a cosmetic concern, but not dangerous. Women/people with cervixes get routine PAP testing for the other kind of HPV.

Overall, your current symptoms are not related to HPV. We would not assume you had HPV unless you have had warts identified by a doctor/nurse. It’s possible that you carry HPV without symptoms, but there is nothing you need to do about that.

Hope this helps.

Please feel free to leave a comment below or submit another question.

Health Nurse

I am confused with some things I’ve read on this site and others, A person is contagious even if no warts are present, then after 2 years without a wart it is concitered dormant or a “resolved” infection, what does this mean? Is a person still just as infectious? Will it come back? Or is it more like chicken pox, once your body fights/ beats it it is no longer a threat? I’m talking about the non cancerous types. And if so or not how do we know?

Hi,

Thanks for writing.

Genital warts and HPV can be confusing for a lot of people. The confusion is partly due to the fact that scientists and researchers are still learning about genital warts, and we don’t know everything yet.

One thing we’re learning about genital warts is that some people get ‘transient’ genital warts, while others can get ‘recurrent’ genital warts. When someone has a transient wart that means they will have a visible wart on their skin, but once the wart is gone then the virus is gone. Others who have recurrent warts will have a visible wart on their skin, and once the wart is gone they can still pass on the virus.

We can’t tell who has transient versus recurrent warts. The same types of warts may be transient for some people and recurrent for others. The only way a person can know if they have recurrent warts is by having recurrent outbreaks of warts.

However, most genital warts are transient and HPV is mostly passed when there is a wart present. It’s much less likely for HPV and warts to be passed if there is no visible wart, we just can’t say it’s impossible.

We generally say that after 2 years without any warts that someone has “resolved” their genital wart infection. This means that they likely had a transient infection because they have not had any recurrent warts in a 2 year period. Someone with resolved genital warts is not infectious and will not have future outbreaks (unless they get re-exposed to the virus at another time).

It’s not quite like chicken pox immunity… Transient warts are superficial, and they do not involve the immune system. If you have a transient wart that goes away, then you won’t have any protection against that type of wart (and you can get it again). However, recurrent warts do get the immune system involved, and if you have a recurrent wart then you will be protected against getting that type again. There is a vaccine which protects against genitals warts.

So, yes, it can be difficult to tell who has HPV and who might be infectious. But the most important thing to remember is that genital warts are not cancerous, and not dangerous in any way. The types of HPV associated with cancer are invisible and do not make warts.

Also, we estimate more than 75% of Canadians will have genital warts at some point in their life. That’s most Canadians! Warts are spread through direct skin-to-skin contact, which can happen even when people are using condoms (because there are still parts of the body that can touch). That’s one of the reasons it’s so common.

Lastly, there is no routine testing for HPV, and people are not expected to know their HPV status the same way they know their HIV status. There are also no legal requirements to tell others if you have HPV. Talking to partners about HPV is based a person’s comfort, and their relationship with their partner(s).

Hope this helps. Please feel free to comment below or submit another question if needed.

Health Nurse

I had a protected sex with a working girl last week and after next day having slight burning sensation and frequent urination started. No discharge or no other symptoms but frequent urination. Regular urine culture report came as no growth. Should I worry about any kind of STI?

Hi

I don’t know your full sexual or medical history so it’s difficult for me to give specific advice, but I can give you some general information based on what you have written. Frequent urination is not seen as a typical STI symptom, slight burning sensation can be a symptom of an STI, but this can also be caused by non-STI conditions as well.

It’s great that you saw someone and they were able to do some testing for you. Did they also test for STI like gonorrhea and chlamydia as well or did they just do the urine culture?

Most cases of gonorrhea and chlamydia would show up in a test by 2 weeks after it was passed to someone. Given this if you’re concerned it would be good to go for another urine test at 2 weeks to check for these.

The other thing is to follow up with the health care person you were seeing if you’re still experiencing symptoms like a burning sensation in the urethra or if it hurts when you are peeing. Other STI that are not tested for can cause these symptoms and it is common for the health care person you saw to give someone some medication for this.

Let us know if you have any other concerns or questions.

Health Nurse

Hi I have had a bad groin itch lately and it’s gotten worse lately I have scratch my pubic region so much I got scratch marks and dry flakey skin on my penis and my thighs have gotten pimples that seem to burst and get dry I’m embarrassed and don t know what to do

Hi,

Sorry to hear about the symptoms you’re having. It’s common to feel embarassed when we have symptoms involving the genitals, but there’s lots of normal skin problems that affect gential skin.

Your symptoms don’t mean you have a sexually transmitted infection (STI). Itching on the genitals can be a sign of an STI but there are also many non-STI things like fungal infections.

I would recommend going for a STI checkup and discuss your symptoms with the health professional you see.  You could see your family doctor or any doctor at a walk in clinic. We also have clinics that specialise in STI. Have a look at our Clinic Finder for one in your area.

Please leave a comment to let us know if this answers your question or if you need more information.

Health Nurse