Is it herpes? 1 doctor said yes, the other said no. Comment on pictures?

'm 26 yrs old, male, and very worried. Two weeks ago, I had intercourse with someone I didn't know well. A week later I had three pimple like things which were red in color, and when the skin came off, it bleeded. A few days later, a few white-color-filled tiny blisters appears in two or three different areas on the penis, each looking like a cluster of very small white blisters. Having researched it, it seemed like the incurable genital herpes, which had me very worried.

I visit a dermatologist quickly, and he had 1 look, for about 5 seconds, and immediately mentioned the word herpes and prescribed the antivirus tablets and creams. I was worried that he took only a quick look, and maybe judged me, since I told him I had sex with a stranger 2 weeks ago.

The next day, I visited another dermatologist, who understood how worried and concerned I was. He took a good long look, under the light, and properly did the visual inspection bit. He asked if I applied anything on my own? I said yes, before the white blisters appeared, I applied betazol cream on the 3 hard red pimple-like things just incase (betazol is a cream for skin fungus). He said he believed it was very UNlikely to be herpes, and is more like an irritation possibly from the betazol (even though all the clustered white blisters make one think its herpes). He prescribed some irritation cream, and anitbiotics. It was the biggest relief in my life - until a few minutes later, when I thought to myself he might be the wrong one, even though he had a better look than the 1st doctor.

I initially planned to take a blood test but I am told I need to wait a while to ensure it detects it, if its there - also, I'm told that it will never prove if what I have is herpes, because many people might already have the herpes strains in their blood.

I've taken some pictures, and I would like to ask someone who has good experience with knowing what genital herpes might look like for different people. Can someone please help me and let me know who I can ask, and if any experts can have a look could you please comment. I'm hoping a genital herpes expert / dermatologist could, hopefully, confirm it might indeed be a skin irritation as the 2nd dermatologist said?

Here are the 11 pictures:
Warning: Male genital areas visible.
http://img844.imageshack.us/i/img00105201011160000.jpg/
http://img837.imageshack.us/i/img00106201011160001.jpg/
http://img593.imageshack.us/i/img00107201011160001.jpg/
http://img709.imageshack.us/i/img00108201011160001.jpg/
http://img259.imageshack.us/i/img00109201011160002.jpg/
http://img709.imageshack.us/i/img00111201011160002.jpg/
http://img152.imageshack.us/i/img00113201011160003.jpg/
http://img691.imageshack.us/i/img00114201011160003.jpg/
http://img72.imageshack.us/i/img00115201011160003.jpg/
http://img690.imageshack.us/i/img00117201011160005.jpg/
http://img708.imageshack.us/i/img00118201011160005.jpg/


Many many thanks.

[Scared4Life2891]

I can't tell from pictures, but it does look like herpes; but the 2nd dermatologist could be correct, or it could be some other skin condition, such as Molluscum Contagiosm. I'd have one more dermatologist or doctor look at it and deman that they swab it...

[Scared4Life2891]

demand*

[Male26yrs]

Scared4Life2891,
Many thanks for your reply. It seems, after a lot of reading, that the only way is a blood test. I think I missed my chance for a swab, it's too late now. I do really hope it's something else like Molluscum Contagiosm. Thank you.

[katy0645]

Looks like herpes. Not as big of a deal as it sounds, you may never have another outbreak after this one.  And you only have the type 2 herpes (genital) in you are exposed to it, a blood test will tell you if you have it or not. Type 1 is what 90% of people have, and thats oral.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
From the symptoms it can be herpes or molluscum contagiosum. 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.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.

[Male26yrs]

Thank you all for your kind responses.
My blood test results came out and unfortunately looks like very bad news.
I was tested for HSV Types 1 & 2 (both igm and igg).
Type 1 IGM & IGG were both less than 2 NTU (with > 11 meaning positive). However, for HSV2 the result was igm 23 and igg 29 (significantly greater than 11). The doctor says that means I do have HSV2 and it is most likely that all this was my first genital herpes outbreak. The secondary symptoms also started such as extreme testicle pain when urinating, and pain in the thighs.
Is there any chance that having a blood test result of both igm and igg so high could be wrong in any way? I doubt it, since it's been done in a modern private medical facility.
The doctor said not to worry as 70% of people will not have a reoccurance and that i already did my 5 day course of Famvir tablets. He saw I looked very nervous and stressed, so he mentioned that I could take another blood test in 3 months or so, and that the IGM would be a negative value, but IGG would still be over 11 - meaning I was infected, but it's likely that I won't have a reoccurance since it's inactive or something.

Any comments on the blood test results? Is it worth having another test somewhere else in a few months?

Many thanks.