Concerned about possible herpes or pubic folliculitis?

[Chihuly]

About 6 weeks ago I had unprotected vaginal intercourse and performed unprotected oral on a girl.  She is somoene I've known for a few years but as far as her STD exposure history, that I do not know.  A few days after our encounter I started to get red bumps around the base of my penis.  They started off as itchy and then got red, swollen, and painful to the touch.  The day before I shaved the pubic hair around the base of my penis plus some of the hairs going up the shaft.  The bumps at first seemed to be follicuilits but then a few had developed white heads with puss and the bumps seemed as like you have said before, "deep in the skin."  About the fifth day afer my lymph nodes in both sides of my groin were very sore and this lasted a few days.  The red bumps were still there and a few were swollen almost to the width of a dime.  I used antibiotic ointment and it went away in about two weeks but I'm very concerned and am planning on getting the herpeselect test next week which will be six weeks from the exposure.  I keep reading how herpes symptoms can be mild in some people so I'm not sure if this could be primary herpes symptoms or really bad pubic folliculitis?

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Lymph node inflammation (lymphadenopathy) is common with either infection.  If anything, it tends to be more prominent with folliculitis than herpes.

HHH, MD

[Chihuly]

If it is folliculitis, then can that really cause my groin lymph nodes to get that sore?  Thanks for your help Doc.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

The syndrome you describe is much more typical for folliculitis than herpes.  Herpes uncommonly affects the pubic area, so both the location and the nature of the eruption are against herpes. But I cannot make any particular diagnosis online; for that you need to see a health care provider.

Good luck--  HHH, MD