Am I infected?

2 1/2 weeks ago I had unprotected sex with a woman that I barely knew. 3 or 4 days after this happened, I got some pimples  on the upper part of my left leg outside the pubic area (the triangles).

These pimples were pretty much like the ones you get in high-school that are red with the white thing in the middle that you can actually squeeze and explode. At the moment I did not think much about this because I have had them in the pubic area (in the other side or exactly above the pelvic area) before. I usually get one or two but I have had more than that in other ocassions. To this day I still get pimples like this in my buttocks, back, shoulders, face. That is why I was not very concerned. However, since this happen to coincide with the only time I have had unprotected sex with an unknown person, it scared me a little bit. Based on my research it seemed like the only STD that could be the culprit was Herpes. However, all the material that I have read mentions that it is more like a blister or sore. Mine were definitely not blisters and I do not think you can call them sores. Mine were definitely high-school pimple looking.

I also went to STD Health Clinic and they told me it was too soon to get a test but the lady looked at that it remained from the pimples and she claimed that based on my history of having pimples and the look of them, she did not think it was Herpes.  I should also mentioned that I did not have any of the other symptoms like swollen glands or fever. Also, I did not experience any pain. It bother me a bit because they were rubbing with my boxers but that was the extent of it.

Based on what I described, how likely it is that I do not have Herpes? Should I get tested and if so when I should do it? It just scares me that I may have been infected and screwed for life. Especially scares me that I could infect my wife.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Although recurrent genital herpes sometimes occurs near but not on the genitals, initial infections almost always involve the genitals themselves (penis, labia, etc).  Second, if a health care provider thinks the lesions looked like pimples (or perhaps folliculitis, a similar condition), that's almost certainly what they are; such problems are quite different in appearance than herpes and easy for the average health care provider to tell apart from herpes.  On top of that, these days most providers in student health centers are very experienced with genital herpes.

Bottom line:  Almost certainly the condition wasn't sexually acquired, simply a coincidence with the sexual contact you describe.  Follow the student health service advice as to whether you should be tested for herpes--but based on what you describe, I don't see the need.

Happy holidays--  HHH, MD