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Pimples or Herpes?

Ok, so this is a bit of a long story but I'll try to make it quick.

Basically 8 months ago was the last time I had sex. We used protection every time however I did receive oral sex (I'm a woman) without using protection. My partner had no visible cold sores, etc.

About two week after that last sexual encounter I felt my labia minora and it was quite tender and swollen. I grabbed a mirror and had a look. My left labia minora was swollen and about twice the size of the other one. On it was what looked like a massive pimple, just like the one you would find on your face. I gently squeezed around the lip and a thick, white opaque pus came out of the 'pimple' as well as some blood. Afterwards I felt around it and it still felt like there was a hard lump underneath. After that I completely forgot about it, it did not hurt when I wiped after using the toilet and there was no crusting or anything like that that I remember.
(Just a side note before this first 'pimple' I had also been sick with a head cold - not flu symptoms - no aches or swollen lymph nodes just a really bad runny nose and sinus issues about a week after that last sexual encounter - I was travelling and my friend had been sick a week before me so I assumed I had caught it off her).
At the time I quickly googled genital herpes and it looked nothing like what I had, it was definitely a pus filled lump, not a fluid filled blister. Anyway so I forgot about it... until the last couple of days.


I was doing some grooming downstairs and the upper part of my vulva above my clitoris felt a bit tender. There was no tingling, it was not itchy and didn't have a burning sensation, just a tenderness that you have when you feel a pimple brewing under the skin on your face for example.
Anyway I had a look, it was tender it was a little red, I have a lot of fordyce spots on my vulva region and the redness seemed to be around one of these. The next day (day 2) the area was still a bit red and tender however I noticed that the more I touched it the more red and raised the skin got (not quite sure if this was due to blood going to the area or what). The day after that (day 3) it was less tender and still a bit pink. That night (day 3) I was feeling around and I just generally squeezed the area and some thick, white opaque pus came out of the skin where it looked like the fordyce spot was. After I wiped the thick pus away I couldn't even tell where on the skin it had come from. I squeezed the area again and a tiny bit of blood from the hole the size of a pin prick came out. The day after (4) which is today, the area is still a little red and it does not hurt anymore. There is no visible sore and no crusting.

I don't know if it is me being paranoid or a mild hypercondriac, but even though these two lumps both looked and acted like pimples (thick pus, no rash, went away once I squeezed them) there's a little voice in the back of my head telling me it may be herpes due to the occurance of the first one after my last sexual encounter. I know that some people are asymptomatic and some people's symptoms are so mild that they never even notice it which is what has me worried.

So basically in summary: On both occasions there was only one pimple like lump both containing thick opaque pus which I squeezed out with no pain. They did not look like blisters. There was no tingling, itching, burning sensation and no crusting.

So I have two questions:

1) I wasn't able to get into a doctor in time for them to have a look or take a culture swab. However the pus and blood that did come out of this most recent 'pimple' I put on a tissue and I am going to take it with me to the doctors. Will they be able to test from this?
I know that blood tests can be inaccurate and that culture swabs are the most accurate so I'm really hoping that they can test the dried pus on this tissue. If it was a herpes infection I'm thinking that it was most likely caused from the oral sex as we used protection every other time (not fool proof I know). I've never had a cold sore that I can remember so what if I get a blood test and it comes back positive for HSV I? I won't be able to know if its oral or genital which is really unnerving.

2) Without seeing pictures, does this sound like mild herpes or just two unrelated pimples/blocked pores?
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Avatar universal
Thanks for the reply. I'm going to see the doctor this afternoon, unfortunately when it came up I was in the middle of no where with a doctor that was fully booked.

I've done a bit of reading it it seems like the first pimple could have been a small batholin's gland cyst - which would explain its position and the pus that was in it.

But yeah, just the timing of that first one and the fact that I noticed this second little irritation is concerning esp. when I've never had a hsv test bc it isn't included in a regular std test.

Anyway time will tell.
Thanks again
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Avatar universal
Based on your descriptions, and the fact that pus came out of both, I wouldn't immediately assume herpes. If they were herpetic, they wouldn't heal immediately, and would likely become open sores.

Like you said, the blood test for HSV-1 won't really tell you anything if you've never had a cold sore or a herpes test before. I think the best thing you can do is see a doctor immediately if it comes up again.

So sorry that you're worried -- I understand your paranoia! But in the absence of any other symptoms, I would try not to worry that this is herpes.
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