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Hpv?
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Hi, I'm a virgin and have never had any kind of sexual contact, so I'm probaby just being overly cautious but I'm a little scared. I've had these tiny while spots in the hair folicles on my scrotum for ages, and I read somewhere that this is relatively common, probably just enflamed hair folicles, which is normal for some people, so I thought everything was OK. Then a few months ago a whiteish lump about 5mm across suddenly appeared on my penis shaft, it doesnt grow in size and neither of these cause any discomfort, and I know there's tons of things it could be and I'm just being stupid but i'm scared nonetheless. The lump appeared virtually pvernight and has never changed in size and I can feel that it's confined to the skin and is not on the muscle below but for some reason I'm still scared. I knew HPV could cause cervical cancer but until a few days ago I'd never heard of penile cancer, and after reading the symptoms, I'm fairly sure this isn't it because it developed so fast and hasn't grown but I can't help but be wary. Anyone got any ideas what it could be?
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Best thing is to go to the docs or a GUM clinic to get it checked out. It could be a few things.
It could be Genital Warts which are caused by the Humano Papilo Virus (spelling?) or HPV.
The hair follicles on your scrotum are probably normal.
The lump on your shaft could be a sebacious cyst/gland.
If its HPV you will have to get it removed and the clinic/doctor can do that in a variety of ways depending on size and location and urgency. They will also tell you that 70% of the population have this virus somewhere in their body, a proportion of them have had a genital wart or will have , so you are not alone. Thankfully most people that have warts do not get another attack, even thought he virus is always there. Whatever way its not the end of the world!!
Question - what the appearance/texture?
Is it rough, hard squishy, bumpy, does it look like a mini caulliflower/rice krispie?? Is it always the same visible when floppy or can you only really see if when you are erect?
Try doing a search on Google for 'Fordyce spots', they are very common, and completely harmless.
If that doesn't put your mind at rest, go along to your GP for a quick checkup. You are unlikely to have an STI, but other skin conditions can affect the penis.
- to add - sorry to put more doubt in yout mind...
You dont have to have had direct sexual/genital contact to get somethings...
I'll probably go to the doctor soon if I dont find out what it is, I dont think it's a Fordyce spot.
I haven't found anything that looks like it on the net - all I've found are very prominant spots on the surface but this one is inside the skin, and whilst noticeable it is definitely not and prominant as things I've seen in photographs. I guess I'll just go to the doctor and see what she has to say.
I guess it may be a spot because it appeared so suddenly, but I have never known a spot to stay for five months or to be actually in the skin rather than on the surface. Sometimes i can squeeze a small amount of what appears to be pus from it like would come from a normal spot, so in all likelihood I'm just getting myself worried about a little infection, but I like to hear your theories..
I've pretty much convinced myself it's not cancer, iw as just ebing pessamistic before, since penile cancer mainly only occurs in men over 50, smokers (I'm not one) and those with an active sex life and even then has an incidence rate of one in one hundred thousand in the UK, the chances I have it are probably millions to one. Plus it usually occurs on the head or under the foreskin as opposed to on the shaft
It could be a wart - there are like hundreds of different types of HPV each causing different symptoms.
But it sounds more like it could be a large subaceous gland/Fordyce Spot (as these can be like 5mm across) from your description of what it feels like and where it is situated in the skin etc... I have these and they freaked me out for many many years before I went and had it all looked at... like you I had them before I was sexually active.
Get to the doctors or GU clinic this week mate - just to take the stress off your moind if nothing else.
Let us know how you get on!!