Is it herpes?

I recently was tested for STD's by my gynecologist and he said I was clean.  Since then, I have had protected sex with one partner about 3 weeks ago who had no signs of herpes or anything else to his or my knowledge.  I have, since then, experienced something I have never experienced before.  Little flesh colored raised bumps on my labia majora and minora.  They match the skin they are on and are barely noticeable except for the fact that I check myself out down there all the time to make sure everything is correct and can feel the texture change and know this isn't how I normally look.  

But this is how it happened.  I bought a new bathing suit and went out on a boat on a lake for 2 days.  I swam in the lake and sat around in my wet bathing suit for awhile did not dry off fully when I came back and changed into my dry clothing.  The next day I felt a little itchy down there, but there was no shower out so I just hopped back into my bathing suit and popped back into the lake.  The next morning after I showered, I saw the bumps.  They don't look fluid filled, they just look like raised skin like bumps.  Like an ingrown hair, but obviously in areas that don't have hair.  I don't know if I psyched myself out or what, but then I started to get itchy down there.  Since then, it hasn't gotten worse, only better, but still a little itchy (not as bad as a yeast infection).  

I popped a few of the bumps and no puss came out and it just bled a bit.  When I pop them they are healed by the next day.  No pain is associated with it, or fever and if I didn't look down I probably would have just thought I had a little itch.  None are inside my vulva.  I made an appointment with my gyno but that's a few days away (because of the weekend).  I get yeast infections monthly and have recently had bacterial vaginosis and a Pap that came back with ASCUS but no STDs.  Do you think this is herpes?  I'm going out of my mind!!

[Jasmina Jankicevic, MD, MSc, CCRP]

Welcome to the Dermatology Expert Forum, and please, put your mind at rest!

Let us analyze the situation: you were tested for STDs (I take it, including HSV) and found negative, and you have had only protected sexual intercourse(s) ever since. Based on that, we can conclude that lesions you experienced later on are highly unlikely to be clinical manifestations of genital herpes.

On the other hand, some of possible causes of genital itchy “bumps” could be insect bites, irritation caused by friction and maybe something from lake water, and yeast infection should be excluded too.


Wishing You Optimal Health,
Dr. Jasmina Jankicevic

[scaredtodeath597]

I was tested for HSV this past monday and the test came back negative for HSV-1 and HSV-2 (!!!yay!), but they have no idea what it was.  They think it may have just been from the lake water/wearing a dirty bathing suit.  

Thank you for your response!  It helped settle my brain before my appointment.

However, I found out that I was NOT tested for HSV when I had a routine STD test done.  Talking with them as well as doing my own research I found out that it is not normally included in the standard STD testings and needs to be specifically asked for in order for it to be administered (which I think a lot of people do not know and that may be why it is one of the top STDs to be spread).  

Just an FYI for anyone who reads this! :)  

Thanks Dr. Jankiecevic for your response :)