Herpes of Follicitus...please help

I had protected sex about two and a half weeks ago. Four days ago I noticed two red bumps at the very base of my penis, upon closer inspection I noticed that there were hairs growing out of the bumps  and one of them looked like a white head of a pimple, I popped it and puss and a small amount of blood came out. Since plucking the hairs out, the bumps have remained and are about a 1/4 of an inch apart. They are not painful to the touch or anything of that nature. I have not had any other symptoms of herpes. The red bumps have not changed in appearance over the course of the four days. What is the possibility that this could be herpes? Any help you could provide would be extremely helpful...
Thanks Again

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

You have given an excellent description of folliculitis, not herpes.  As you may know, folliculitis means hair follicle inflammation; so you can see a hair coming from the center of most lesions.  Also, the presence of overt pus with blood unlike herpes.  Herpes lesions are more supferfical and start with red bumps that become blister-like (i.e, with clear fluid).

So the odds are it isn't herpes.  But if in doubt, and in particular if in doubt about whether your partner might be infected with herpes, see a health care provider, such as your local health department STD clinic.

Good luck--  HHH, MD

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