Herpes?...Or Not?

[simplydivinejess]

On June 27, I had protected sexual intercourse with a male and unprotected oral sex on him. During sex, it was very dry so sex was rough. I had noticed that I had torn. Gone in two days. That week I was due to get my period (on birth control) and had pain in my right ovary a couple days before. I took this to be me doubling up and skipping my period the month before. That and I've gone to the doctor for the same pain before and it was fluid from a cyst. Well my mind got to racing and I started freaking out. I had extreme anxiety, lost weight, aches and pains and headaches. Then the ex-boyfriend said he didn't want to be together so that stressed me out even more. The next week I was at the pool all weekend (in Florida) and I was sweating quite terribly. And a couple days later while looking in the mirror I saw bumps spread out on my butt cheeks. They didn't hurt at all, except when I squeezed one of them and cut the top with my fingernail. Last week, I noticed where the stop of my buttcheeks meet right inside, there was a bump that was kind of sore. I didn't think anything of it. However, it stayed sore. I stopped wearing thongs for a few days and started putting on neosporin or campo phenique. The bump was always small in the morning when I woke up, but got a little bigger during the day due to friction, sweat and me constantly touching and looking. The bump seemed deeper into the skin, but when I looked at it in the light there was a sheen on top of the skin where it was. So for a week I was continuously trying to pop it. Nothing. And then last night I went out dancing...Wore thongs and sweated a lot. When I came home I saw a tiny pin size white spot on the bump thinking it was ready to pop. Of course I had to get into a position where the skin was tight enough to pop. It popped and I even heard the popping noise, but all that show out was clear fluid. Now today it is an open sore. What am I supposed to think about this? Thanks for you help.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

You don't seem to be paying attention.  What you describe does not suggest herpes.

Folliculitis does not have to form pus-filled pimples.  The reason the bump is re-forming is because of the irritation you caused by squeezing it.  The best thing you can do for this is to leave it alone and was it frequently with soap and water. Do not squeeze or scratch it further.  EWH

[simplydivinejess]

I have another bump forming right under this one that is also getting sore. I'm so confused. :-(

[simplydivinejess]

Thank you for your response.

I can't help but wonder why there was no "puss" that came out of the bump and why it was "open" after I popped it.

It feels much better now and has already crusted over since I popped it early this morning. Would a regular herpes blister/ulcer scab over that quickly? And would a herpes bump last for a week without ulcerating?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to our Forum.  I see that in the past few days you have had 8 other posts on the Herpes Community site.  Both from reading your posts and from their sheer number I can see that you are quite nervous about herpes but I am not sure why.  Your partner is a partner you have been with before and apparently there is no history of herpes.  Your genital sex was protected vaginal sex and the lesions you have mentioned are on your buttocks.  I also note that you live in a hot (sweaty) part of the nation and that you have been rubbing and, ultimately squeezing the lesion- this sort of manipulation is never a good idea as it obscures what is actually going on and make accurate diagnosis difficult.

Having said all of this, I must say that my sense is that this is not herpes.  It may be a problem called folliculitis in which pimples are formed due to clogged pores. The buttocks is a common location for this.

My sense, as I've said, is that this is not herpes.  I suspect it will go away with soap and water. However, given that you are anxious about this to the point of losing weight, my advice would be to have your doctor take a look.  

I hope these comments are helpful. EWH

[simplydivinejess]

Might I add that his penis never touched anywhere near me without a condom. No genital to genital rubbing at all.