Herpes-could the lab test be wrong?

Help me sleep at night. I am 31 and in a 10month monogamous relationship.
Two weeks ago I went to my doctor for burning while urinating. I tested negative for yeast, and bacteria(vaginal and bladder).
Later that day I got a bump. A welt of a bump that turned into a cluster of 5 bumps, these looked like the pimples you get deep under the skin that never come to surface. Over the course of 2 days this turned into about 15 large bumps in the pubic area randomly dispersed with one cluster of 5 large bumps. My lymph nodes got swollen and I came down with a fever and sore throat (tested positive for strep a week later). I went to a walk in medical center 5 days after 1st symptoms (as I was half the US away on vacation) and the doctor said it looked like folliculitis. He asked if I had used an old razor and I said yes, I am on vacation and used the one in my travel bag (not new). He prescribed an antibiotic and a cream and wrote me a script for Valtrex just in case and cultured the lergest area of bumps. These bumps looked just like huge ingrown hairs. They lasted 5 days until complete healing. I took the cream and antibiotic but not the Valtrex (did you ever see the size of them! gulp!) Thee bumps did not ooze anything and did not turn white. When I ripped them appart (my friend told me to do this to look for an infected hair-why did I listen?) there was much pain! And there was a slight bit of clear fluid. They never ever tingled, they were not small. They did not itch only hurt. My boyfriend nor I has ever had a cold sore orally or genital. Much to my surprise the lab rapid culture came back positive. I was devistated. I went to my doctor. He said it did not sound like herpes to him at all and until he has his own lab test he does not even think I have it.(I dont want to get my hopes up ) I got the IgG test for HSV1 and HSV2 results in one week. Any opinnions? I cant sleep.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Herpes is a  possibility.The other possibilities are folliculitis or boils.But is is important to rule out genital herpes.

Most individuals have no or only minimal signs or symptoms from HSV-1 or HSV-2 infection. When signs do occur, they typically appear as one or more blisters on or around the genitals or rectum. The blisters break, leaving tender ulcers (sores) that may take two to four weeks to heal the first time they occur. Typically, another outbreak can appear weeks or months after the first, but it almost always is less severe and shorter than the first outbreak.

The only way of ruling it out is by getting yourself tested for genital herpes. Laboratory tests include: culture of the virus, direct fluorescent antibody (DFA) studies to detect virus, skin biopsy, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to test for presence of viral DNA. I sincerely advise you to consult a dermatologist and get it ruled out.

I hope that helps. Take care and pls do keep me posted on how you are doing or in case you have additional queries. Kind regards.