Itchy, sensitive, discharge on penis
Hello,
I am just going to cut straight to the facts
- i am NOT circumsized
- i HAVE NOT had sex for nearly 2 years now and this has only just started in the past couple of months (can ALMOST rule out all sti/std but i wont diagnose this until a doctor does. Me being no doctor i can't say if it is or not but after only starting recently and having no signs for 2 years i would imagine i would have seen something prior to now if it was an sti/std)
- I have a very sensitive head on my penis..
- It is quite itchy. When i scratch it however, it feels good. But becomes more itchy. Catch 22 much?
- There is a yellow pasty type liquid sparingly on the head
- i shower daily or at worst ever 36 hours. I pull back to clean under the foreskin on every wash
- I does not 'burn' when i urinate but it does somewhat feel 'good' due to the head being so sensitive
- It comes and goes. It might last 1-2 days. then goes for a week or 2 then comes back for a day or 2.
- i wear boxer shorts or briefs. NOT undies. Have not work Undies for about 12+ years.
- I masturbate maybe 1-2 a week (i have a low libido due to other medications)
- I am currently on weight watchers and eating healthy and drinking roughly 1.5L of water a day.,
Question:
* What do you think this is? OR what do you think it MIGHT be?
* Should i be worried based on my last sexual encounter?
* Is there any 'special' way of cleaning down there as at the moment i pull right back and just wash with water. I hear soap is NOT a good idea so thus don't use it. But is there any kind of wash to use?
* Do you think it is more of a urinary/bacterial infection caused by cleanliness rather than the STD/STI option?
Thanks guys,
It is not 'worrying' me at this point but the itchyness is getting to the point of 'i cant keep my hand off it' and it's quite annoying.
anony_mouse 09/24/2011
Replies:
It is very unlikely that you have an STD. It is very likely that you have a rather classis infection not uncommon among uncircumcised men. The stuff that accumulates under the prepuce is very rich in nutrients and bacteria. It has gotten out of control and you will likely need a prescription ointment. See your doctor for that and also to ensure that the infection is not living in your urethra. Topical treatment, in that case, would give you some relief but would not get at the root cause.
If I recommend mild soap and water twice a day for women, I would certainly recommend the same for a man. Baby shampoo is great for a woman because it rinses well. Hygiene is especially important among uncircumcised men even to the point that there is a separate, more complete, procedure for inserting a catheter. Your doctor can explain cleansing when you see him.
Brandye
Dear Anony_mouse, may I compliment you on making such a complete post! I'm sure that if you present your doctor with such a clear overview, (s)he'll know exactly what to do!
On the (not) washing with soap; Please note that Brandye is a doctor and therefor more qualified to answer than I am. But I'd like to present you with an additional point of view, based on what we learn on intimate hygiene as early as highschool (part of the obligated curriculum).
In the Netherlands health care professionals advice both men and women to not wash their genitalia with soap. Not on healthy genital skin and certainly not on irritated skin. Their explanation: the skin is far more delicate in the genital area than other places of your body. Pulling back the foreskin and washing with water is enough to properly cleanse yourself. When washing it with soap, you're not only rinsing away the feeding grounds for bacteria (smegma), you're also washing off the skin's natural protection. Soap dries out and irritates the sensitive skin, making it even more prone to infection. It is warned that daily use of soap over a longer period of time, could lead to producing more smegma, since the skin tries to protect itself. Which is why once you've started using soap daily over a longer period of time, you'll have to continue doing that every day. So if you decide it's necessary to wash with more than water, only do it every once in a while. Better; use a cleansing product without soap and with the same PH-value as your skin. For instance Klinion Personal Care Wash Lotion which is based on milk serum.
Off course; being no medical professional myself, I can't tell you what's best. I do know our sexual education-system is valued as high quality compared to the rest of the world and most men are uncircumcised here. By personal experience; I've been in a relationship with a man who washes with soap daily ever since he was a teen. Him being of a previous generation and on a Christian school; he was never taught any different. If he for some reason couldn't wash with soap for a day, that became immediately apparent by a lot of smegma.
Other than that; please see your doctor and ask for advice, before going out and buying things yourself. Also ask for advice when it comes to daily hygiene. In special circumstances there may off course be exceptions to the general rule. And it seems the general approach may differ.
RedRoses