Hi there and thanks for getting in contact with us.

It's great that you are comfortable in your own skin, literally, and that you have written in with your concerns after you noticed these lumps. Good on you! Many people would be too embarrassed but these things are always best checked out.

It is really difficult to say what this red purplish thing is without looking at it. If the lumps are all around the rim on the head of the penis, then they sound completely normal and are called pearly papules.

However, if they are actually on the skin surface of the head of the penis, then they could be a fungal infection (not a sexually transmitted infection) called thrush, and if it is this, a doctor may need to do further tests on you.

Either way, you really need to go and see a doctor to have it checked out, to put your mind at rest. Have you told anyone else? Do you have an adult that you can trust, like a parent/carer, guardian, or school nurse or counsellor? If not, or you don't feel comfortable talking about this private stuff with them, then do you have a local doctor you can go to?

Even though you are 13, you do have the right to go and see a doctor for a confidential chat without an adult present, as long as you understand the information that the doctor is giving you and they believe you have the emotional maturity and understanding to be given that advice/treatment without an adult involved. They will explain to you what the law says about young people and confidentiality and when they cannot guarantee this. (Confidentiality cannot be guaranteed if you are at risk of harming yourself, someone else is harming you, or you are harming someone else, because you are a minor.)

I have given you details below of Family Planning WA because they have a young people's clinic in the Fremantle area, which may or may not suit you, but other services in other areas too.

Remember, if you do choose to have sex in the future, always use a condom to protect yourself from STIs. Good luck and take care.