I believe I have HPV but doctors aren't diagnosing it

Posted by manfred1983 @manfred1983, Sep 19, 2023

I'm a male in my mid 30s. A few days after a one night stand I started to get itching on my scrotum, then my scrotum turned red and sore, a few days later I developed some very small wart like bumps in crease of my leg, close to my scrotum. Those bumps disappeared after about a week, but the redness on my scrotum continued. I have seen 4 doctors and they all dismiss my notion that this is HPV. I guess because they didn't see the bumps (though I have told them). They have variously diagnosed it as dermatitis or perhaps something fungal. I have had several different steroid creams, but these do nothing. In my opinion because they are not the required treatment. I continue with my redness and discomfort. I have two very small pink, flat bumps- one on the side of my penis and one on my inner thigh, which I did not have before. I know my body, and they were not there. I have shown them to two doctors, who dismissed them as "nothing". To me, they are something, were not there before, and look similar to images of flat, pink warts I have seen on the internet. This has been going on for months now, I'm in discomfort with no sign of a solution. I believe I've been misdiagnosed on 4 occasions. What can I do?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Infectious Diseases Support Group.

Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | Sep 19, 2023

@manfred1983 Welcome to Mayo Connect, a community of patients and caregivers who share our journeys and help one another along the way.

It sure is maddening when doctors don't seem to take our concerns seriously, especially when we have tried multiple times. You are probably correct that you have HPV (human papilloma virus) because nearly 80% of sexually active people will get it in their lifetime.

Here's the issue, when doctors say it is "nothing to be concerned about" it doesn't mean it really is "nothing." What is really means is first, there is no definitive test for HPV, and second, there is no specific treatment for the virus itself. Most people, unless they are immune-compromised, will clear it naturally from their bodies, much the way one gets over a cold without medication.

Here is what the CDC has to say about it:
https://www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/stdfact-hpv-and-men.htm#

So, you asked "...What can I do?"
If you have other discomfort, is there a possibility that you have another STD as well? Maybe you could go to the doctor and explain your ongoing symptoms, instead of telling them you are sure it is HPV?
If the warts don't disappear on their own, see your doctor when they are visible. They can be treated, or in some cases removed.
Get vaccinated for HPV if you have not done that already.

Does this give you a path forward? Please let me know how you are doing in a week or two.
Sue