Many years ago, Patient XXX discovered that he had a number of red blotches on his penis.
He consulted GP, Dr AAA, who told him it was an infection, prescribed a cream, which Patient XXX used for about 10 days, and the red blotches were gone.
Twelve months later Patient XXX found the same red blotches had returned. This time he saw Dr AAA’s partner, GP Dr BBB – coincidentally on exactly the same day of the year as he’d seen Dr AAA twelve months before! Dr BBB said the same thing – that they were caused by an infection, and prescribed the same cream. Patient XXX asked Dr BBB what could be causing the blotches, and said, off handedly, “Oh, there’s always nasties in your wife’s vagina,” – something, which, in hindsight, he always thought was so bad/wrong it was really horrible. BUT, 6 weeks later, he still had the same blotches!!!
So he saw two or three other GPs, and they each said they were due to an infection, and prescribed the same cream, or something different.
But then he saw a GP who referred him to a Dermatologist, Dr CCC. After examining Patients XXX’s finger nails with a magnifying glass, Dr CCC said they weren’t due to an infection at all, but to a skin weakness – something which 10% of people had, which he’d identified by the striations in Patient C’s finger nails. (In other words, the fact that the advice Dr AAA had originally given him, and the cream he’d prescribed had worked, was fluke.) He told Patient XXX to never let any soap get on his penis, and prescribed a totally different cream, in case they ever returned – and he’s had no problems ever since. He still has a supply of this cream on hand, just in case.