Herpes?

[jason4163]

2 Months ago I had brief unprotected oral and vaginal sex both lasting for a few minutes each (I was drunk).  Since then I have had no symptoms that I could see (and I have been checking thoroughly every day - sometimes several times a day).  I do not know the exact number of partners the girl had had prior to the occasion or whether or not she had any STDS.   I tested negative with the IgG tests for HSV 1/2 a week after and a month after.  Several days ago, I was checking around and noticed what looked like hair follicles that didn't have hairs in them on the right underside of my scrotum, which I was pretty sure had been there for a while.  The area wasn't red or anything.  I pulled out a few follicles around the area to see if they looked similar to these bumps.  The next day in that same area I noticed a much more pronounced bump.  The bump was very dark, and about the size of one of the hair follicle bumps (the ones WITH the hair in them).  I thought it was black at first but after rubbing it I saw that it was more fleshy colored than black.  I couldn't tell if it was more or less itchy than the area around it, but I know the area around it was NOT red.  

The next day I popped the bump and it bled a pretty good bit(I wanted to see if there was an ingrown hair underneath, which there wasn't).  For the next several days the mark looked like a reddish area with a blister in its center that never burst or anything (I don't think) and now on day 8 is pretty much healed.  The area just looks reddish with a little scarlike circle in the center.  I have since pulled hairs out in other areas of the scrotum and have not had any similar bumps appear, which worries me.

1.  What could that bump have been if not herpes?  What does a mild outbreak even look like?  All the sites on the net show are the nasty ones.
2.  When can I be sure of an accurate test?  I'm going nuts here.
3.  Thanks!

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

You have started a number of threads asking the same questions in the herpes community forum, were given reassuring responses, and most recently indicated that you had finally convinced yourself there was no signficant risk and that your test results are reliable.  I have to wonder what happened in the past week to change your mind so that once again you are "going nuts here".

1) Because herpes can be atypical, nobody can say for sure.  But there are many skin conditions that cause genital area skin bumps that aren't herpes and herpes lesions don't act like pimples or bleed much if popped.  Conceivably a pimple, or hair follicle infection, or molluscum contagiosum.  But herpes doesn't behave the way you describe and uncommonly occurs in hairy areas like the scrotum or public area.

2) As you were told on the community forum, most people have positive results by 6-8 weeks.  But sometimes it takes 3 or even 6 months.

3) You're welcome.  You can be very confident you don't have genital herpes.

Regards--  HHH, MD

[jason4163]

K thank you so much.  I am very reassured now.  I was doing better with the anxiety until this bump appeared.  My doctor isn't as knowledgeable as you so I would like to ask you a few more things then I promise I'll be done! :P

What is a "mild" herpes outbreak like?  Why do herpes not usually appear on hairy areas?  If it was an infected follicle why wasn't there a hair in it?

Done!

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Mostly blisters and sores, just smaller than usual.  Maybe it wasn't an infected hair follicle; or the hair was ingrown; or who knows?  I never said you had folliculitis, only that it might be possible based on your decription.

Genital herpes infrequently occurs in hairy areas (especially the initial infection) because 90% of initial herpes involve places most subject to friction during sex.  That's because herpes infection usually requires more than just laying the virus on the skin; the virus has to be massaged into the skin.  Thus the head of the penis and penile shaft in men and the labia minor and vaginal opening in women, plus the anus in persons who have had receptive anal sex -- and uncommonly on places like the scrotum, pubic area, buttocks, etc.

[jason4163]

A related discussion, Definitive negative? was started.