Rash on upper thighs

[Steve879]

   I am a 21 year old male. I currently have what appears to be various rashes on my both of my upper thighs. The largest are about the size of a quarter. However, in addition there are various spots all pinkish to red in color that go into my inner thigh and groin. There are no marks near or on my penis. They itch and burn but it is not extremely painful. There are no lesions but there could be slight bumps where hair follicles are or just the rash appears redder by hair of follicles. One of the hair follicles seems to have a very small white head. I squeezed it with little to no discomfort, and it was very similar to popping a small pimple. After 24 hours the condition has not seemed to worsen in the initial area on my right upper thigh, but the rash on my left upper thigh seems to be slightly redder.

To begin with my washer and dryer in my house broke and as a result I have had to engage in intense athletic practices and conditioning in unwashed compression shorts for about two weeks. However, the problem became noticeable about 3 to 6 hours after having protected sex (my first encounter with this girl). The first act of intercourse occurred at 5 am with another occurring at 8:00 am. I had athletic practice and lifting from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm after which I noticed itching on my upper thigh and noticed a very small irritation. Approximately 6 hours after noticing this small rash, the rash had grown and spread to its current condition. This condition has been in its current state now for around 1 day now.

Could this be a std? I am concerned that it is genital herpes. However, after researching online I don't think that the timeline matches correctly with a primary outbreak of herpes as all of this occurred in less than 24 hours.

Please help as I am very worried! Thank you for your time and I await a response.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

For sure this isn't an STD.  The onset soon after sex is a coincidence, and anyway, no STD can cause symptoms only a few hours after exposure; 2-3 days is the minimum for any and all infections, including herpes.  And your description doesn't even hint at herpes, both because of the location (initial herpes in men almost always is on the penis itself) and your description.  That some lesions have white heads around hair follicles supports the idea of a bacterial infection of your skin, such as staph or strep.  Sweating can contribute to that sort of problem, and so might the apparent poor hygiene you describe.

This sounds like a rapidly spreading problem that might become serious if it continues to get worse.  You should see a health care provider right away for diagnosis and probably a prescription for an antibiotic.  Do not cut corners by trying any further to get definite answers online; you need to see a health care provider in person, today.  But don't worry about STD.

Good luck--  HHH, MD

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Glad to hear you are under proper care.  Good show!  Take care.

[Steve879]

Dr. Handsfield,

The doctor that treated me agreed with you on all counts. The rash is not an std. He gave me cephalexin in 500mg pill form to take 4 times a day. I have a follow up appointment on Thursday and he said he was confident that the medication should do the trick.

Again thank you very much for the help. It really helped ease my stress levels and if it were not for your advice, I could have possibly developed a much more serious condition.

Thanks

[Steve879]

Doctor Handsfield,

Thank you very much for your prompt reply. I am glad to hear that the possibilities of an std are eliminated. I will see my college's health care provider as soon as possible. I must admit that your answer brings quite a bit of relief to me. I will provide you with what the school's Dr. says. I will also make sure to reference your response when visting the Dr.

I will also avoid using my dirty compression shorts (I normally have good hygiene I promise!).

Again Thank You!