Hives or STD? Scabies?

I'm a 30 y/o male with no past history of allergies. Over the past few days I have had an outbreak of red bumps on my neck, face, eyelid, lips, torso, groin, and penis. They appear suddenly and seem to disappear within an hour. Sometimes they itch mildly, sometimes they don't itch at all. I have been a little stressed lately, but not overly so. I had a one night stand with a woman a few months ago (intercourse w/ a condom), and a couple weeks ago I did receive an "erotic massage" and oral sex with a condom. Can hives be symptoms of HIV or other STDs? Could it be scabies...do scabies appear and disappear suddenly over and over again, or are the bumps constant?

Thanks!

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,

From the symptoms the possibility of hives is important. Many cases of hives are "idiopathic," meaning no cause is known. Others may be triggered by viral infections or medications.
Take some antihistaminic like Benadryl and apply some calamine lotion on the rash. If the symptoms are worse then please apply steroid creams after consulting a dermatologist.

I hope it helps. Take care and regards.