Red Rash Getting Into Everything

[AdviseMePlease]

Dear Sir or Madam:

About two weeks ago I contracted a red rash after having sexual relations with my girlfriend, with whom I have been in a relationship with for three months. Although I have always practiced safe sex, I did perform digital stimulation without gloves, and later, without thinking, scratched an itch near my groin. A short time later, a red rash developed covering my inner thighs, scrotum and perineum. The rash tingled and itched, and I would describe each sensation as being a separate symptom. This worried me, so I drove myself and my girlfriend to the nearest free STI clinic. The nurse stationed there determined that my girlfriend had HPV; she had white nodules lining the inner labia. This same nurse stated that I did not appear to have any symptoms of HPV or HSV, and that the rash I had appeared to be fungal. This made some degree of sense as my girlfriend had been recovering from a yeast infection at the time this started. None-the-less, the rash did not dissipate with anti-fungal creams and has now begun to bleed in certain spots. Moreover, my hands appear to have contracted the rash, which has illuminated the scar tissue in my hands. Furthermore, a white blister that fades and reoccurs has been evidenced near a cut on my left thumb, which blister has in the middle of it a single brown spot. Meanwhile, parts of my hand have become raised, slightly, though with no particular discomfort other than the tingling and itchiness of the rash. Additionally, a wound on my knee has developed a cluster of white/gray lesions, which have not dissipated in over two weeks ... these lesions do not cause me any pain or discomfort. I sought out advice from the STI clinician only to have her reassure me that my symptoms were not related to HSV or HPV. Recently (within the last week) my girlfriend developed a rash on her arm which presents as a red rash, similar in coloration to my own, with various raised and yellowish sores. A doctor who saw her diagnosed it as contact dermatitis. I am somewhat miffed at this diagnosis, as it is akin to saying "yes, it's a rash." Notably, the rash in my genital region does not present any blistered lesions, although there are small painless papules and some raised red spots. The STI clinic does not test for herpes, and I am uninsured on a low wage job (trying to remedy that of course). I am desperate for an answer that makes some degree of sense. Please advise. My sincerest thanks for your time.

[AdviseMePlease]

Thank you very much for taking the time to answer my question! I'm planning on having the rash tested shortly ... with the holiday weekend upcoming it was impossible to schedule an appt. for this week. I was curious as to whether or not the following issues would impact the diagnosis in any way: (1) The rash on every part of my body rapidly dissipated after exposure to a mixture of water and apple cider vinegar, although I am still itchy in various places, (2) my girlfriend's rash was located on her inner elbow, (3) the rash created a glitter like effect on my hands, with (extremely small) glittering red skin flakes that fell off at the slightest touch, (4) my girlfriend's apartment has been determined by an expert to contain black mold, and (5) my girlfriend's rash caused her pain and did not itch, while my rash itched but did not cause any pain.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
I cannot confirm anything without examination but your girlfreind’s sores can be due to impetigo. The second possibility is of herpetic sores. Impetigo is a superficial skin infection caused by staph aureus. It is highly contagious and you are advised to refrain from any physical contact with others.

In herpetic sores, pain, burning, tingling, or itching occurs at the infection site before the sores appear. Then clusters of blisters erupt which break down.
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.

[AdviseMePlease]

Forgot to mention: girlfriend's doctor said he did not believe her rash to be fungal.