skin irritation - herpes?

hi doc. sending this question as i am nervous over a condition which has just started over the last few days in my groin region -- on both the inner sides of my thighs and inner sides of my pubic hair area where the groin and thigh meet as well to the right of the scrotum at the bottom.

the area in question has had pink spots (mostly centered around the hair follicle) which eventually dissipate and/or turn red. no blistering, oozing, itching or pain. slight tenderness - yes but nothing to really note. i started to break out with these over the last week in which i was on vacation in florida on day 4 and 5 out of 6 days in total. in florida, the tempature was hot and very humid.

i went to a walk-in clinic today as that was all that was open and the doctor who examined me asked a few questions on whether i felt i had a temperature or felt sick which i responded no to both. she then took a look at the area and said it really looks like jock itch to her. i asked if it could be viral and she said no. she didn't bother to take a culture either. (she was young also.) i used econozale this past summer to help with the heat and she recommended i continute use of this for a couple of weeks and it should clear things up.

reason why i am posting to this forum is because i had a sexual encounter about 10 weeks ago where i received a massage, genital stimulation and some kisses & licks. so, got me to wondering whether this might have something to do with my current condition.

this website has been great in providing direct answers for the most part so i thought i would try here as other sites provide vague information. here goes:

1. do you think what i describe sounds like herpes?
2. should i get tested?
3. if so, when?
4. could my encounter mentioned above be responsible for current conditions?

thx

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Literally everything you describe is against herpes.  Herpes does not cause inflammation in the groin of the sort you describe.  It cannot be caught by the sort of exposure you describe, or so rarely as to be ignored.  Your description indeed sounds like tinea cruris (jock itch), and in any case no online doc can compete with a provider actually has examined someone.

So the direct answers to your questions are 1) No, 2) No, 3) Not applicable, 4) No your rash undoubedly has nothing at all to do with your massage.

Good luck--  HHH, MD

[aworriedguy]

thanks doc. that's what i thought. nice to get your second opinion. was just a little worried the doctor i saw was a little young (maybe not been around the block long enough) and was female (so maybe she doesn't see a lot of male cases). in any case, thanks again.

[aworriedguy]

hi doc -

saw a dermatologist on monday and he looked at the area and determined i had candida albicans. no culture taken and had me take fluconazole.

i noticed in reading some websites that herpes can be misdiagnosed as candida.

do you think i should go back and ask for a culture or get tested since no culture was done?

thanks...