Q: I am married and have 2 children. My wife and I have clean and healthy sex. Sometimes I get small 5 to 6 water filled boils on my penis the next day after sex. This is not happening frequently. In the last one year I did not have this problem but before I have had this 4 to 5 times in the past. If I do not break them when they are small, they come into contact and turn into a big boil and once it is broken pain starts and turns into a wound. I had a consulted a doctor who told me not to worry and advised me to apply some cream. What is the reason and why am I getting this problem? Is it because of sex or heat? Kindly advise me some good medicine and also let me know the reason why these boils are erupting on the penis? What care should I take?

A:You probably have herpes genitalis. However, you must consult a Dermatologist to find out if this is so. The clinical features are usually sufficiently diagnostic in early stages. Therefore you must see the doctor before secondary changes take place. Herpes genitalis, due to HSV, is a life long infection, characterised by recurrences and remissions. Fortunately, in most cases, with passage of time the recurrences generally become less frequent and less severe. In some patients, characteristic provoking factors have been identified for these recurrences. These include stress, menstruation, trauma, etc. Thus trauma from coitus can precipitate a recurrence in some individuals. Good general health will certainly help in reducing attacks. Medication will depend upon the severity of the disease. In some patients topical antivirals are enough. On other hand, in severe cases with frequent attacks, continual suppression with oral antivirals like acyclovir may become necessary. Additional medicines like antibiotics may also be required if there is superimposed bacterial infection, etc.