HERPES

He Said the Lump on His Penis is NOT Dangerous

Dear Dr. Tom:

I think I may have a herpes cold sore on my lip. 6 days ago, I had oral sex with a man who said he’d always had the bump on his penis and it was not dangerous. So now I feel like an idiot. I have a tiny tingling bump on my lip, which I originally thought was a pimple, and I have a slight sore throat. My concerns are: 1. How can I keep from spreading it? Can I keep the sore from getting too gross? 2. I have had diabetes for 25 years, will this cause any special problems for me.

---

Dr. Tom’s Response:

Dear Lady Who Feels like and Idiot:

Let me assure you are not. Your mistake was failure to be more cautious about oral sex in the presence of the man’s unidentified penile bump. There are non-herpetic conditions in the male that produce such bumps. Your symptoms suggest oral herpes infection and pharyngitis (sore throat). See your doctor who will probably discuss diet and possibly treatment with an antiviral drug to help control gross appearance, spreading, and any possible immune-compromise you may be experiencing because of your diabetes.

---