Rash, leathery look, and dry skin in crotch area. What is it?

I have this red rash on the inside of my thighs beside my groin. It burns and itches mildly and looks simply like a red rash that's a little bumpy and I've had it come and go for sometime, a little over a year I believe. I believe it to be jock itch as most methods I have found regarding it make it go away quickly. It has always come back but when I got it looked at after joining the military this is what they told me it was and I have tried to get rid of it. It has however re-occurred on occasion.

However, I am military and have not been home in a while and this past weekend I went home and made the mistake of getting drunk with a friend I hadn't seen in a while and I slept with her. I wore protection but now I've noticed that the rash is back. In addition, It has has a funny smell and my ball sack on both sides is a white colored dry and flaky look and when wet or when I put antibiotic cream on it it looks like leather. It has not spread any higher than my scrotum nor has it to my scrotum yet. I am currently using a triple antibiotic cream on it and 1% hydrocortisone. I fully intend on getting tested for STD's as soon as possible as I did not learn until after that night that she was not as safe as I had been led to believe. But I would feel more at ease if I had a sooner opinion on what this might be.

Please give me some advice. I'm not the type to sleep around but I had just turned twenty one and I got really drunk and made a mistake and so now I'm really paranoid.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
From the symptoms it looks like fungal infection. Various reasons for recurrent or persistent fungal infection are incomplete treatment, treatment resistance, co-existing dermatitis, diabetes and low immunity. Treatment resistance can be overcome by applying a cream with a combination of antifungals (Clotrimazole 1%, Miconazole nitrate 2%, Tolnaftate 1% and Butenafine hydrochloride 1%). Get your blood sugar tested, fasting, 2 hours after food and if these are high then glycosylated hemoglobin to see overall sugar status in last 3 months.

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.