Recurring Red spots

[HankHill]

I have a question regarding something that I think is herpes.  About 10 weeks ago I had genital-to-genital contact with a girl without a condom.  About five days later I had a rash develop around a genital piercing on the underside of my penis just below the glans.  The rash had a red base with white bumps that I guess could be considered blisters.  There were 7 or 8 of them the started as tiny dots and grew to be about the size of a pencil lead over the course of a week or so.  I immediately took out the piercing.  I scratched them with a needle to see if they had fluid in them.  They didn't seem to be fluid filled, but they were not dry either.  As they were healing from me scratching them, another group of bumps broke out near the same area, these bumps didn't have a red base and were skin colored, located around the scar from when I was circumsized as a child.  These bumps haven't really changed, so I don't think they are herpes, in fact they may have always been there.  I did get my genitals swabbed but the results were negative for herpes, however, the original lesions were in the process of healing at the time.

They all seemed healed up for about a week until a couple of days ago, I got another rash at the original location  that looks similar to the first, red base with little raised spots on it.  Again, they are not classic blisters.

I have read that 80-90% of people with hsv2 don't recognize the symptoms, is this because many symptoms are like mine and not typical.

I'm going to get a blood test in another few weeks.  That'll be 12 weeks since I was exposed.  

I think it's quite coincidental that I broke out 5 days after genital contact, the rash went away after I scratched it, then it came back 2 months later after healing.

Does this sound like herpes or warts to you.  If not, what else could it be.  i've read that herpes can show itself as a pink spot.  I'm pretty sure that's it's herpes, but I won't know until a few more weeks.

sorry if this was too long.

Thanks

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

It sounds like herpes.  Blood tests aren't too useful for that diagnosis.  The way to test it it to swab the lesions when they're fresh--the first couple of days of the next outbreak.  That's my advice.  Then you'll know one way or the other.  The incubation period for a new herpes outbreak can be a few days, so that's consistent, though of course doesn't prove the diagnosis either.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff