I have been experiencing itchiness around my genitals for the past seven years. It began as an uncomfortable itch that I thought I could cure with a scratch. I found out through the hard way that the more I scratched, the more I itched. I ended up hurting myself with the vigorous scratches so I applied an ointment in hopes of soothing the discomfort but that one too didn’t work. This thing became a thorn in my flesh that wouldn’t go away.

I had to go to the hospital in the end. The doctors ran some tests and it was discovered that I contracted an STI. “You tested positive for Syphilis,” the doctor told me. I never thought I would test positive for any sexually transmitted infection but here I was, heavily infected. He gave me some medication that was meant to work. It’s called Benzenthen. It was administered as an injection on my buttocks. The pain was unimaginable but I endured it, praying that the condition would change.

The medication helped me feel better but only for a short while. It wasn’t long before this itchiness returned. I didn’t know what else to do so I went to the pharmacy. I was given some antibiotics but it didn’t work out. I went to another pharmacy and they gave me a new set of antibiotics. “This one will take care of your little problem completely,” the pharmacist assured me.

I came home and tried the medication but it didn’t work. I went back to the hospital and they said I was clean. The STI had been cleared and there is nothing else in my system that should cause me to itch the way I do. Without any diagnosis, how could they treat me?

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I have been on my own with this condition all these years. The moment someone tells me, “Go to this place and tell them your problem. They will give you a medication that will work one time.” You would see me running toward that place. I have tried so many medications that you would think my life depended on it.

Can you imagine going through life with a constant itch around your testicles and joystick? It’s uncomfortable if you don’t scratch it but if you scratch too hard, you bruise yourself. This is how tormenting the past seven years have been for me.

I have been to several hospitals and all the doctors who attended to me said that I am in perfect health medically. They don’t know anything else they can do for me. I believe it’s their way of telling me, there is no hope for me. How can I live the rest of my life like this?

When I sit down to think about it, I believe I contracted the itchiness from a beautiful lady I dated just around the time the discomfort started. She must have had a host of infections. And now I don’t even know her whereabouts. But I am forced to deal with the aftermath of her presence in my life.

This entire problem is a thief of my joy. When I am walking in public, my hand would be on my groin so I could scratch my itch. At social gatherings, I don’t have the luxury to be sociable, because I am too busy trying to find a way to scratch away discomfort. Sometimes when I am invited to an event, I decline the invitation because of this thing.

Currently, I have an ointment I apply to the area. It soothes the pain for a few days only for it to return after a short while. I keep using it because it’s the only thing I have tried that gives me a few days of reprieve. So it has become a part of my cosmetic routine.

At this point, I’m convinced that if this condition doesn’t go away on its own, I will be forced to live with it for the rest of my life. It’s hard for me to accept but what else can I do? There is no remedy or recommendation that I haven’t tried.

I Didn’t Tell Anybody Because I Enjoyed It

My problem now is, I am getting married next month. What if this thing affects my fertility and I am unable to father children? Or worse, what if it affects the health of my children? I don’t know what it is that ails me so I don’t know the implications it has on my reproductive health. What if I pass it on to my offspring? Or it affects my ability to produce healthy children?

This is my biggest fear right now. Am I being paranoid for no reason? Is there anyone here who has been in my shoes? How did things turn out for you? Please share your experience with me and let me take comfort in the knowledge that I am not alone in this.

—Paul

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