Is it herpes or folliculitis ? I can baredly sleep.

[someone very scared]

Dear Dr.
I found a bump on my labia majora a few hours after sex with my boyfriend of 1 year. The bump hurt only when I touched it. I was so scared I went to 3 ob/gyns and 1 dermatologist. All of them said it was folliculitis. They told me to put warm compresses. I put warm compresses and when I was doing that, green puss came out of it. The bump no longer hurt when I touched it and
and got smaller. The smaller bump is still there after 1 week, and it has hair around it and 1 hair follicle right in the middle of it. There was no hair when the bump first showed up only after the pus came out and the bump became smaller. I had uncomfortability urinating,no burning just uncomfortable after urinating, a few days before having sex with my boyfriend. The urine was little cloudy. When I went to the ob/gyn, and she dipped my urine, it was leukocyte esterase positive and she said it was UTI, and to drink cranberry juice, I did and the uncomfortablility went away. I went at the same time, I got the bump.  The only other time I had a pimple like bump on labia majora in totally different place which came 4 days after waxing, and it went a way in a couple of days. That also hurt when I touched. I had no buring feeling when urinating, no vaginal discharge, no fevers, no itching, no tingling sensation.

Now I had this new bump after sex, which made me very scared.

I never any bumps prior to these episodes. I am terrified.

Can this be herpes or folliculitis ?

Is folliculitis hurt when you touch it?

Does a herpes sore have a hair around it and through it?

Does a herpes lesion produce green pus? or clear fluid?

I am awaiting HSV blood cultures.

I never had a history of STD, neither does my boyfriend but is it possible I asymptomatic until now.  

How long does folliculitis take to clear up?

Could you please help answer my questions, I am so scared. My boyfriend said he had pimple like bump day also but it went a away that day.He did not tell me where.

I know folliculitis can reoccur, I also know herpes lesions usually come back in the same place. The fact that my two bumps were in different places does that make it less likely?

I know this does not sound like typical herpes, but I know herpes can present atypically.

I am very nervous and scared, so I would appreciate any help possible.

Thank you very much.

[xVolk]

A related discussion, Red bumps/pimples around genitals, what is it? was started.

[goosemoose]

A related discussion, hair follicle or std? was started.

[Philligrl26]

I get that bump on my labia as well, however I found that it was called a (excuse the spelling), bartholin cyst.  Very painful, but does pop and go away.  Does come back and did twice while I was pregnant.

Monica

[kdh]

Thank you for the clarification, dr.

[wtf9111]

what are possilble symptoms of a male tp have that are not included in the listed above? what is there to look for?

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Let me explain:  Most people who get a first attack of herpes get just a little cold-sore type outbreak.  This means that they were exposed sometime in the past (can't say when), and already had antibodies which softened the outbreak.  This patient, however, was concerned he caught herpes a couple of days before.  For that to happen, he would have to be antibody-free--meaning he never had exposure to the virus before, and people who get a first-episode attack with no antibody protection  get massive blisters, swollen glands, fever, and so forth.  Then when they get recurrences, they're milder.  So what I meant was that the symptoms didn't match exposure to herpes on this particular encounter.

Hope this clarifies.

Dr. Rockoff

[kdh]

Dr.:  I'm confused about your comment regarding an intial herpes outbreak.  I'm not trying to freak out the original poster (I agree that her symptoms sound nothing like herpes) but I disagree with the comment that an outbreak would result in massive blisters, fever, and swollen lymph glands.  I have tested positive for herpes recently and have never experienced any of those symptoms.  If people commonly experienced those symptoms, more than 10% of infected people would know they have it.   I know several people with herpes and only one has ever experienced sores, fever, or swelling.  It's frustrating to hear medical professionals tell people that they will have those symptoms if they have herpes b/c it keeps people from being tested since they think they don't have it due to the lack of those symptoms.  I feel that if people knew that a huge number of infected individuals have no symptoms or have mild symptoms associated with other conditions, more people would get tested and know their status.  

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Everything you wrote points to folliculitis, not herpes.  If you catch herpes for the first time, you get massive numbers of blisters, lymph glands so painful you can't walk, and high fever.  That, plus 4 doctors saw the lesion when it was fresh.  I'm not sure what other assurance is available.  The tests will presumably assure you further, and the doctors can do more if you wish.  But I think you ought to take their diagnosis at face value.  I also would gently suggest that you explore your extreme fear of STD's, either with your boyfriend or a counselor or both.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff