I noticed a bump on the top part of my buttocks last Saturday (4/24/2008) but disregarded it because I figured it was acne. Two days ago (4/28/2008) I noticed some pus in my underwear and the bump had crusted over. Let me also tell you that I am a dancer and recently had an exhausting weekend of performances following an intense week of rehearsals in which I didn't wash my tights or leotard as often as I probably should have. I'm fairly hair back there and have a tendency to sweat a lot. I decided to go to the doctor yesterday (5/1/2008) where she immediately suspected it may be herpes or a staph infection. She completed a culture and blood test which would not be returned until sometime next week. Dissatisfied with her potential diagnosis, I headed to the ER of a local hospital where the doctor asked me my sexual history. I explained to him I had the same sexual partner for 4 months now in a monogamous relationship in which neither of us had shown symptoms of herpes simplex 2 before. I also explained that the last time I had sexual intercourse with a different partner was some 7 months prior to that and had no symptoms up to that point. He explained that, typically, a sore of HSV 2 would occur 7 to 10 days after exposure. Though I do get recurring fever blisters, one of which I had immediately prior to the bump on my butt, I asked if transmission may have occurred from the towel I use to dry off with...which he said may have happened, but in most cases it happens from skin to skin contact of an infected person. Likewise, he asked if it hurt...I told him that it's barely noticeable and feels like an infected hair or acne...noting excruciating, which he said would be the case with herpes. He explained that patients are in a lot of pain with herpes from it since its basically an open nerve ending...and when the first doctor did the culture, it felt like she was just scraping the sore, noting too uncomfortable...which he also said was not indicative of herpes considering the pain most diagnosed HSV 2 patients are in. He suggested that a staph infection or MRSA seemed unlikely too since it usually spreads very quickly and is worse looking than my place, which looks basically like a scrape or popped pimple. After explaining what I do for a living, he figured it would be folliculitis...based on what I've described, any guess on your behalf?