Folliculitis or Herpes

[Blusihg]

Well let me tell you what i have noticed. A week ago I had sex with a partner and then the next day i noticed that i had little white head bumps in my pubic hair. I didn't know what it was so i didn't pay no attention to it. Then the next day and some days after that i notice it spreading around in my pubic hair. Then today i noticed that little bumps started to show on the base of my penis.
  I don't want to think its herpes because it don't burn when i urine and it don't make me want to inch. The only thing i have notice that it feels tender sometimes, and today i had got a little pain on the side of my penis. So i put some antibiotic cream on it today to calm it down because it could be Folliculitis, but i am hoping that its not Herpes because i don't feel or see the major signs of it Herpes.
   Also, I don't see any marks on my penis or any different coloring on my penis. The only thing i have notice was the lil bumps started going on the base of my penis, and i fear that it will start spreading on my penis, and then one day it wil started burning......I don't want that to happen. I plan to go see a doctor sometime next week, but i don't have insurence, so if you have any idea of what this is can you tell me, and what should be the best thing to do about it?
   But my question, is this Folliculitis or Herpes, and how can I tell the different?

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Herpes causes blisters, not little white bumps.  Herpes blisters are in one place and scab over and go away in 7-10 days, unlike the bumps you have.  This may be folliculitis, in which case it is not an STD and will go away on its own.  You should see your doctor as planned, for reassurance and proper diagnosis, but I think you are OK.

Take care.

Dr. Rockoff

[Wbomb]

This is embarressing, but I had unprotected sex with someone about 5 days ago. Tonite, I noticed I had these red bumps at the base of my penis, all at the base of hair follicles. I am freaking out because it could be herpes, but all it is, is these red bumbs, that puss and have a little white head come out when you pop them. I have infected hair follicles on the backs of my thighs and I have had them on my penis before. One thing I remember specifically was that after having this unprotected sex, I didnt take a shower and wash the fluid off my penis. I also masterbate using lotion, and dont always shower right afterwards. Could all this have caused the hair follicles to get infected? I will go get tested anyway, but just to ease my mind a bit does this sound like infected hair follicles? No pain, buring, itching, swelling, or any other symptoms. Just the red bumps at the base of hair at the base of my penis.

[Puca]

I wish to describe my situation in detail so that I might possibly receive an answer to a personal medical question that seems to have confounded the ‘experts’ for years.

I am a Caucasian male, 35 years old. I am in perfect health, other than what I will describe now.

About two years ago I had a single sexual encounter with a lady who told me before hand that she had been diagnosed with genital herpes. She said that she had been tested for every other type of STD, including AIDS, and all other tests proved negative. She assured me that she did not have an outbreak at that time. We did have sex and I did use a condom during vaginal sex. She did give me oral sex beforehand without the use of a condom.

About three to four days later I got flew-like symptoms: achy, fever, nausea, etc. Then, the head of my penis started to tingle and feel as though it was being pinched. I also had a sort of rash / blemishes appear on the head of my penis (which has never gone away - more about this in a minute). In short, I thought for sure I had contracted herpes simplex II.

After the fourth or fifth day I took advantage of my medical benefits and went for a checkup at Kaiser Permanente. The doctor said she did not see anything that looked like herpes (this was correct – it was not the classic blisters). She swabbed the area and ran a culture test that turned out to be negative. She also gave me a prescription of Famvir – I completed the entire regimen with absolutely no effect.

After this proved to be fruitless – I still had (and have) slight blotchy redness around the lower end of the head of my penis… and a hardly noticeable, small, slightly gray patch just above the red area – I went back to Kaiser and demanded to see a different doctor for a second test. This doctor did the same as the first; he attempted to culture the virus – the test came out negative.

A month after this I went back to Kaiser again and asked for a blood test. This time they checked my blood and the results also came out negative. I also had them test for every other type of STD under the sun – and all came our NEGATIVE! I could not believe what I was hearing!

Weeks later I took the results of the blood test to a medical doctor in Nevada who specialized in alternative modes of healing. He looked at the test results and said that I did test negative to genital herpes but that they results showed a high level of Herpes Simplex I… which I have had since a child. He also looked at the sore and said that it did not look like herpes but that it did look ‘odd’.

Now here I am, two years later with the same symptoms that have NEVER gone away. I have the same reddish rash, that little gray area just above it – and I feel a little tingle / pinching ever single day! I did not have sex with anyone about a year before contact with this girl – and, needless to say, have not had sex since in fear of transmitting some unknown disease. This is wrecking my social life!

Any ideas?

[Puca]

I wish to describe my situation in detail that I might possibly receive an answer to a personal medical question that seems to have confounded the ‘experts’ for years.

I am a Caucasian male, 35 years old. I am in perfect health, other than what I will describe now.

About two years ago I had a single sexual encounter with a lady who told me before hand that she had been diagnosed with genital herpes. She said that she had been tested for every other type of STD, including AIDS, and all other tests proved negative. She assured me that she did not have an outbreak at that time. We did have sex and I did use a condom during vaginal sex. She did give me oral sex beforehand without the use of a condom.

About three to four days later I got flew-like symptoms: achy, fever, nausea, etc. Then, the head of my penis started to tingle and feel as though it was being pinched. I also had a sort of rash / blemishes appear on the head of my penis (which has never gone away - more about this in a minute). In short, I thought for sure I had contracted herpes simplex II.

After the fourth or fifth day I took advantage of my medical benefits and went for a checkup at Kaiser Permanente. The doctor said she did not see anything that looked like herpes (this was correct – it was not the classic blisters). She swabbed the area and ran a culture test that turned out to be negative. She also gave me a prescription of Famvir – I completed the entire regimen with absolutely no effect.

After this proved to be fruitless – I still had (and have) slight blotchy redness around the lower end of the head of my penis… and a hardly noticeable, small, slightly gray patch just above the red area – I went back to Kaiser and demanded to see a different doctor for a second test. This doctor did the same as the first; he attempted to culture the virus – the test came out negative.

A month after this I went back to Kaiser again and asked for a blood test. This time they checked my blood and the results also came out negative. I also had them test for every other type of STD under the sun – and all came our NEGATIVE! I could not believe what I was hearing!

Weeks later I took the results of the blood test to a medical doctor in Nevada who specialized in alternative modes of healing. He looked at the test results and said that I did test negative to genital herpes but that they results showed a high level of Herpes Simplex I… which I have had since a child. He also looked at the sore and said that it did not look like herpes but that it did look ‘odd’.

Now here I am, two years later with the same symptoms that have NEVER gone away. I have the same reddish rash, that little gray area just above it – and I feel a little tingle / pinching ever single day! I did not have sex with anyone about a year before contact with this girl – and, needless to say, have not had sex since in fear of transmitting some unknown disease. This is wrecking my social life!

Any ideas?