STIs are bad news, plain and simple, and even the "milder" ones are something a man tries to avoid. That’s why sometimes when a guy looks down at his privates and discovers he has penis bumps, he may get a trifle tense and worried. After all, he thinks he has been so careful to practice good penis care and now he thinks he has genital warts adorning his manhood. But here’s some good news: it may turn out that those supposed genital warts are nothing more than molluscum contagiosum (or MC for short).

So what is MC?

MC is a very common dermatological condition which can occur at just about any place on the body - including the penis and testicles. They tend to differ in appearance somewhat from other penis bumps, as they look like a pimple with a little dent in the middle. (They have that appearance wherever they occur on the body, not just on the penis.) This color tends to be fairly close to the skin color of the individual on whom they appear, although usually a little darker. Although many people refer to MC as "skin tags," in fact skin tags are not the same as MC.

Like so many other things, MC is the result of a virus, which is obtained through contact with an affected individual. In almost all cases, MC is passed along through direct skin-to-skin contact. In rare cases, it is possible that a person contracts MC through wearing the unwashed clothing or using unwashed towels of an affected individual. It’s also not unusual for an affected person to spread the MC to other parts of his own body. For example, after scratching, if he touches an unaffected area, new MC may appear on that part of the body as well.

Benign

MC is a very benign condition (which is good news, of course). It may be accompanied by itchiness, which can be annoying, and scratching too frequently or too aggressively can in some cases lead to an infection. Otherwise there is little of physical consequence to worry about.

However, when MC takes the form of penis bumps, it can have a negative impact on a man’s sex life. For example, the bumps give the penis a "diseased" appearance, making a partner less likely to engage in sex. And with good reason: it’s quite easy for MC to spread through sexual contact.

But a man’s solo sexual pleasure may also be impacted. Because the friction required for masturbation can irritate the MC, it can lead to infection. Even when it doesn’t, the intense and lengthy handling involved in masturbation may lead to a man spreading the MC to other parts of his body if he touches himself anywhere else after masturbating.

Men who have sex while in the midst of an MC outbreak should definitely wear a condom - but even that may not prevent spreading the disorder. Abstinence may be called for.

Getting rid of MC

Most of the time, MC goes away of its own accord, but that may take many months. In some cases, doctors recommend topical application of special creams or preparations that can fight MC. Some of these are prescription and some are over-the-counter. In special cases, they may recommend surgical removal.

While the penis bumps that accompany MC are distressing, it is still preferable to genital warts or more serious STIs. Men can help protect against harm to the penis by keeping its overall health at a high level and by using a first rate penis health crème (health professionals recommend Man1 Man Oil, which is clinically proven mild and safe for skin). Use a crème with alpha lipoic acid, a potent antioxidant that battles the free radicals that can cause harmful oxidative stress. Another hint: be sure the crème contains vitamin D, the "miracle vitamin" with proven benefits in fighting disease and supporting healthy cellular function.