Is it folliculitis or herpes????????????

[abbywain]

Hi all,

I hope someone can help me.

About ten days ago, I got a scratch on my labia during my period when inserting an applicator tampon - I was in a rush and caught my labia, and scratched up the join between the inner and outer labia quite deeply.

A day later it was really swore, swollen, and by the next day, it looked like an ulcer. I went straight to my doctor, worried about STIs, and he said it wasn't herpes, but instead I had a minor infection and to use an antibiotic cream he prescribed.

Over the next couple of days, the cut healed well, but day by day, more red spots/sores began to appear across my labia (where the hair is). In one area, the labia swelled significantly, was hard (like a pea) and had a white/yellow pus-like top to it. This was in a position that urine would contact when using the bathroom which would sting. Other areas continued to develop over the next few days and so I went back to the doctor convinced it was herpes or something. Again, he said not (I had no other symptoms, reason to think I had exposure, and timescales not consistent with reaction to HSV etc), and that infact, I now had infected hair follicles across my labia (I shave that area a lot) and needed to wait for them to drain, keep using the cream etc. He also noted I had an ingrown hair in the larger sore spot, so to wait for it to work it's way out. I couldn't resist trying to squeeze it out though, which hurt like hell and certainly didn't help and I probably helped spread the infection?

Anyway, most of these spots are now disappearing, but the odd one is still appearing, and the one big one I mentioned is still sore (although a hair did work it's way out of there last night) and the area around it looks like it's still very swollen, and almost blistered/scaly?

I'm really scared that it is herpes after all. I had swabs taken and will get results later this week. I know I should probably listen to my GP and stop worrying, but I am a major worrier, and just can't stop thinking about all the 'what if's' etc?

Does this sound like it is a folliculitis infection that could have been spread from the original infected cut?

As an aside, I am in a long-term mongoamous relationship and had a clear STI (routine and I go each year) check in April.

Thanks