URGENT-PLEASE HELP!

[Ann28F]

Hi there,

I am 28 years old female and i am in need of some desperate help.  

From the past 4-6 weeks i have started to notice small round patches on my knees and arms.  They appear pink in color for the first night and then go on to becoming blue and then vanish in maybe a couple of weeks or less. They are painless and are totally flat. Their sizes are close to being a nickel or sometimes smaller.  I didn't give much attention to them when there were only one or two appearing in the gaps of a week or so. I thought i might have bruised myself, but now they are coming more rapidly as i can see one coming every other day, even though some of them are very light pink in color and fade away in 3-4 days but what worries me is that i have two of them, very close to my knees, and two of them on my left inner upper arm and one on the right inner upper arm and one on the bottom left corner of my tummy, right on the bone AND have been there for more than two weeks now. They are ink blue in color now, but painless and flat. I have no idea why i am getting them but the only reason that comes to my mind is could be my sexual life with the guy im dating now.

We have been intimate since April and we did have unprotected sex.  It scares me to think if the marks have anything to do with it because the marks have started to appear since the last month and not april. But he did have unprotected sex with a lot of women before me, although, he just went for the medicals for him immigration status and his paperwork is still in progess. The doctors did a thorough check up on him and said, if they find something fishy, they call you again immediately to double check, ( if for example the medicals came positive for HIV), but since, he didn't hear back from the doctors in a month now, so im guessing his medicals went ok.

If there are people with similiar problem, please write back as I am really scared and afraid to go see a doctor.  I just hope its not some kind of a sexual disease or something dangerous. I read a comment about tinea (ringworm) and saw the pictures but thts not what i have.

I just hope for someone to answer me and relieve me of this worry thts giving me sleepless nights. i am really really scared as nothing like this ever hapnd to me before.

PLEASE HELP!

Anna

[Ann28F]

Hello there,

Many thanks for responding to my post. I will see a doctor first thing in the morning (if i get the appointment that is)!!!

Will keep you posted!

Thanks again,

Ann

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Thanks for writing to the forum!
There is nothing to be scared of. If you have had unprotected sex then its mandatory that you get a STD panel done, even if your friend is found to be negative. It is for your own good.
What you have is probably petechiae. The commonest cause of petechiae is a low platelet count (thrombocytopenia).
They can also result from autoimmune disorders, such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis,  bone marrow disorders such as leukemia, inflammation of the veins, as a side effect of certain medications including the vaccine itself, viral infections, such as EBV and septicemia or infection in blood. A complete blood count, urine examination and a blood culture may be required to reach a diagnosis.
This could also be urticaria or hives. The swellings or wheals produced can be pale (of skin color) or red. Urticaria is usually triggered by allergens, such as drugs, foods, insect bites, inhaled substances, in response to sunlight, cold, heat, stress, exercise, or a viral infection. Other common allergens are pollen, mold, dust, pet dander, or cosmetics.
Hope this helps. I think you should discuss these possibilities with your doctor. It is difficult to comment beyond this without examining. A comprehensive investigation is required keeping all the points in mind. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!