What Causes Burning Sensation And Redness Around The Penis Foreskin?

Posted on Fri, 28 Feb 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Fri, 28 Feb 2014 Answered on

Tue, 18 Mar 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : Between 10/2010 and 1/2011 I visited 5 different female escorts having unprotected oral sex (giving and receiving). A few months latter I noticed a mild burning sensation in my urethra that lasted about a week. This happened three or four times until I finally was able to determined that it happened after washing my penis with a perfumed soap. I once tested it by using the perfumed soap and sure enough I felt the burning sensation for about a week afterwards. I stopped using the soap and everything was fine. Between 9/2012 and 2/2013 I visited four more escorts having unprotected oral sex (giving and receiving). About 30 days after visiting the final escort I started feeling a constant mild burning sensation in my urethra which felt very similar to the soap allergy. This burning sensation lasted about four months until I finally went to my GP and he diagnosed it as Balanitis. At this point I had redness around my foreskin and a small area of crouch itch on my thigh. He prescribed 5 daily tablets of Fluconazole 100 mg. A few days after taking the final tablet the burning seemed to disappear. This was around August of 2013. Since that time I have had several sensations of mild discomfort or mild burning in my urethra. In December I had a painful crack develop around my foreskin which I treated with Monistat 7 and it cleared right up. I have never observed any drainage from my penis. Should I be concerned that this is a symptom of a STD or do you think that it is something else unrelated to a STD perhaps related to yeast? My GP considers it a yeast related issue and does not consider it a STD.

Answered by Dr. Sankaranantham Murugan (51 minutes later)

Brief Answer: Yeast infection is possible.Need Adequatetreatment Detailed Answer: Hi, Welcome to HCM. Thanks for posting your query. Oral sex carries a low risk for STDs except that of an yeast infection. It is a fungal infection, can be transmitted through sex contact including oral sex. Burning sensation, unusual sensations and cracks or fissures over the fore skin are some of the symptoms of an yeast infection. You have to apply the Monistat creams twice daily along with oral Flucanazole 150 mg weekly once for 4 weeks. You should not apply whenever you have problem and discontinue after the symptoms got relieved. This will not eradicate the infection totally. If you continue the same for 4 weeks and have a safe sex in future even for oral sex, you will get a total cure. If you have Diabetes Mallitus it has to be controlled tightly. Prolonged antibiotics, steroids have to be avoided to prevent a relapse. Avoid soaps to clean the head of penis. Plane and clean water is enough for cleaning. Wish you a speedy recovery. Dr S.Murugan

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Sankaranantham Murugan (10 hours later)

That is a very interesting comment concerning yeast infections. That is something that I had not been aware of. Can you tell me if it is more likely for a man to get a yeast infection by giving oral sex to a female or by receiving oral sex from a female. I am assuming that a yeast infection can also be contacted in the mouth. I am also assuming that you are saying that I should not be concerned about having contacted any other STD based on these symptoms.

Answered by Dr. Sankaranantham Murugan (8 hours later)

Brief Answer: Receiving oral sex from a female- yeast common. Detailed Answer: Hi, Welcome back. Yeast is equally common in mouth and genitals of both sex. But in oral cavity it will exists without any manifestation in a normal immuno-competent individual whereas in genitals it will likely to have symptoms and manifestations quite often especially if any one of the partner is having Diabetes mallitus. Even in absence of Diabetes also one can have manifested yeast infection in genitals if it is abundant. Oral manifestation will occur usually in a immuno-compromised individuals. Regarding your question about oral sex, it is common to get yeast manifestation over genitals following oral insertive (receiving oral sex from a female) sex. Even though other STDs are rare to get through oral sex, it is better to have a blood work out for STDs and HIV to rule out any least possibility. Dr S.Murugan

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar