I am a 27 year old male. A few weeks ago I had unprotected sexual contact (oral, genital rubbing), followed by protected intercourse, with a partner who's sexual history I am unsure of. About a week after, in the process of moving, and a long distance drive to visit family, I started to feel an itchy, "surface" pain on my right thigh. Almost like an ingrown hair or pimple forming. I thought nothing of it, but 2 days later I had a patch of what appeared to be zits on my right butt cheek (a bit larger than a silver dollar). They did not hurt but were itchy, and again I didn't think much and attributed it to poor eating habits and stress during the move. The next morning, I woke up with a sore and swollen lymph node on the inside of my right thigh, in the groin area. I went straight to the clinic, where the doctor told me it was most likely shingles. He did not take a swab, gave me a prescription for Valtrex, told me to take some ibuprofen for the pain, and sent me on my way. The valtrex seems to have helped, and the sores are almost all gone, though some remain as flat, red, itchy ovals. The lymph not is no longer swollen.
All was fine and good until I went to the STD clinic yesterday for a piece of mind screening. The nurse there, upon hearing my symptoms and seeing the patch of healing sores, gave me a funny look and said it sure sounds like herpes to her... But of course, couldn't be certain.
I am extremely worried as to whether or not I have shingles or herpes, and don't like he thought of waiting for another outbreak before I can find out. Is there anything I can do or anyone I can see to find out more??