is molluscum an early symptom of hiv? i thought it happend in late stages of the infection.

Molluscum is a very common skin infection and contracting it doesn’t mean you have HIV. On the contrary almost everyone has it in his or her body. If you get molluscum as a skin infection it will not typically last long if you have a healthy immune system.

Molluscum is spread from person to person by direct skin contact and will infect any part of the skin, but it is especially common on the face or in the groin and pubic areas (or rather, the parts we typically have in contact with others.)

If you find that the lesions do not go away or it is spreading this would be a time to be concerned and you should see your physician since it can be an indicator of an immune deficiency.

Your physician can easily identify molluscum lesions since there are only one or two other infections that cause skin problems that look at all similar to molluscum.

Bottom Line:

Getting and infection be it skin (Molluscum), sinus or any other type of infection means very little, most infection dissipate over time.

However, if an infection of any type persists for a long duration (or spreads) than it is an indication that your immune system may have issues.

thanks for responding. i dont know if what i have is molluscum. i have a single tiny pimple on the shaft of my penis. i tried popping it, unsure that it could be molluscum. so the nurse that looked at it and suggested that it might be molluscum said to come back in a few days after it healed from being squeezed. is having one molluscum bump a sign of a bad immune system? i havent had any colds or illness at all, so i dont know what to think. thank you.

What you describe doesn't seem like molluscum, . I would go back and see a doctor only if it spreads or you have other symptoms.

Refer to these sites for more information and pictures:

http://www.herpes-coldsores.com/std/molluscum.htm

http://www.emedicine.com/derm/topic270.htm


thank you for the links. its hard to say what it is after reading those sites and seeing the pictures. i feel really stupid for trying to pop it now. im not sure if or when it will spread. :(