Herpes?

[bondlare]

I am very worried that I might have herpes. A week and a half ago (the first day) I noticed two sores, one in my pubic area (the original pimple), and another about 1/4 of an inch away on the base of the shaft of my penis (the original sore). The original pimple was raised and red with a white head, and did not itch. The original sore was more like a tiny blister. I have had other skin conditions that looked exactly like the original sore on other parts of my body, including on my hand and fingers in the past, for which Spectazol cream was effective. Anyway, I popped the blister of the original sore, and scraped at the skin, and ended up breaking the skin badly. I think a scab formed on the original sore, which I ended up breaking the next day through athletic activity. The original pimple's white head came off at some point, leaving a read crater that hardened and started to get better. The original sore became painful and seemed to be infected. On the third day, I noticed another small, very itchy at first, pimple, similar but smaller than the original pimple (perhaps where I have a cyst) on my shaft about a quarter of an inch from the original sore. On the fifth day, I noticed another even smaller similar pimple near that one.  On the fifth day I bought some anti-bacterial solution and put it on the original sore, and immediately the pain went away and it started to get better, but did not form a scab.  These all were pretty much going away, and I was putting the anti-bacterial solution on many times a day every day. On the tenth day, I noticed some more blisters near the original sore like I had seen on the first day. They were not tender to the touch and were hard. I popped all of them and clear fluid came out (this is the same as would happen with the blisters I would get in the past and use Spectazole on). Where they were is raw, but not tender or painful at all. I have no idea what this might be, but fear it is herpes.

My questions are:
1. Does this definitely sound like herpes?
2. If not, what else could it be?  Could it be the same thing I had in the past for which Spectazole worked?
3. If this is herpes, then why didn't the sores all appear at once and in a consistent form?
4. If this is herpes, why weren't the blisters painful and why aren't the ones I popped forming painful sores?
5. I am in a very humid and hot climate, and I often put my laptop computer right on top of my genitals while I lie down, especially where I am having these sores. If this is not herpes, could this have precipitated my sores?

Thank you so much for your help. I am very nervous about this.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

1. No.
2. A bacterial infection brought on by popping.
3.Because it probably isn't herpes.
4. Same as #3.
5. Possibly.

I advise you to leave the sores alone except to apply bacitracin or neosporin, and to make an appointment with a physician in case the bumps don't go away and need an oral antibiotic, which they probably won't but just might.

Take care.

Dr. Rockoff