jock itch?

Hello, I have had itching on my inner thighs for awhile now-3 years or so. A few months ago the skin on the inside of both inner thighs became extremely dark. I have been using a jock itch spray and a cortisone cream very heavily in the last week and a half. The itching has been greatly reduced but the darkness will not go away. It hasn't changed much during the entire time. I don't believe that it's herpes because from the research that I've done, herpes rashes have a life cycle of 7-10 days. There have been no sores or blisters either. My penis and scrotum appear unaffected.
I should let you know that I exercise on a Nordic track about 5-7 times per week for a half hour at a time. My skin rubs against the exact area that is dark and itching for the entire session and usually I'm sweating heavily. I don't always immediately change my boxers either.
Can you give me any suggestions?

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

It sounds as though you just have pigmentation left over from infection (or chafing), rather than actual infection.  This pigment can last many months, and doesn't respond to bleaching creams or most anything else.  Do what you can (loose underwear, powder) to minimize chafing and friction, and have a doctor take a look to be sure that my surmise is correct.

Take care.

Dr. Rockoff

[jmd432]

Does anyone know about HPV-a girl that I had protected sex with told me that she had it. She told me that it wasn't the type that causes genital warts but precancerous cells.
Does anyone know if there really are 2 different types? I've read that men can't be checked for it so I know that there's nothing that I can do. Any suggestions?

[jmd432]

Dr. Rockoff,
-can you please answer a question about HPV for me? I had sex with a girl that told me that she has form of HPV that causes precancerous cells (not warts) that were detected in her cervex and just had them removed through surgery. I used a condom with her when we had sex (twice).
The doctor said that she had to wait a month to have sex again. If I have sex with her with a condom, will I be at risk of speading precancerous cells to future partners?