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Painful bump on labia
First, I apologize about the length of this post...there's a lot of explanation.
Okay, so this has been a recurring problem over the past few years...sometimes after shaving my public area, I get a small painful bump in the same spot/same side of my labia majora. I've tried examining it with a mirror (it's at a difficult angle to see very well), and it appears to be flesh colored/pink like the surrounding skin. It does not seem to have a head, nor a crater/indent in the center. It appeared yesterday after shaving 2-3 days ago. Last night, I sat in a hot salt bath and squeezed it and it popped (couldn't tell what color the discharge was because I was in water), and I applied antibiotic ointment to it and have been reapplying every couple of hours. Now it is swollen under the skin from squeezing it (kind of feels like whatever was inside the bump went inside my skin instead of out when I squeezed...I have no idea if this is possible, just trying to describe the "swelling").
I got an HSV test 2 years ago when I started dating my current boyfriend, when the symptoms had been recurring over the course of over a year already (so before we started dating & having sex)...symptoms always occurring only after sex that was too vigorous or inadequately lubricated, after using scented soaps/tampons (which I've since stopped doing), or from scratching/washing too hard or having clothes rub the wrong way...but those things only brought it on if it was shortly after shaving the area, not always. Anyway, the test for HSV2 was "equivocal", at a 0.94, and for HSV1 it was positive (from having a cold sore as a kid). The doc had told me that the bump did not appear to look like HSV, and that the equivocal test result could either be because A.) I was positive for HSV1 and the test was picking up those antibodies, or B.) it was a new infection that hadn't built up antibodies yet. Given that the symptoms had been recurring for over a year off and on, she pretty much ruled out a new infection and was confident that I was negative for HSV2.
I just can't help but shake my habit of fearing the worst though. I've since gone through a pregnancy and had a baby, and was never told throughout all of my screenings/blood tests that I was positive for anything at all or that there was any reason for concern. This is my first bump in over a year, as I have either been too pregnant or too lazy or too non-concerned with shaving the area beyond using a trimmer razor with a guard...but the other day I used my ol' triple-blade razor again, and here we go all over again.
What could this be? In my opinion, it doesn't resemble an ingrown hair (which are usually red), and it also doesn't resemble a herpes lesion (never scabbed or crusted over, no indented center, and it's not mind-numbingly painful, it just hurts when touched or rubbed the wrong way by clothing). I've also never experienced any flu-like symptoms, fever, additional vaginal discharge (besides what has been a slight increase on occasion ever since giving birth while everything heals as well as around the time of my menstrual period), any swollen glands or swollen genital area (again, it's only swollen now after squeezing the area). Unfortunately, I cannot afford to go to the doctor (I literally have less than $5 in my checking account and I have no insurance or Medicaid), and the free clinic is closed on weekends including Friday.
If anyone has any input based on my description, I would really appreciate hearing it. I'm sorry that this description is so terribly long, but I was trying to include everything so that someone can (hopefully) be able to better understand and offer some insight. Thanks in advance for any help!
Okay, so this has been a recurring problem over the past few years...sometimes after shaving my public area, I get a small painful bump in the same spot/same side of my labia majora. I've tried examining it with a mirror (it's at a difficult angle to see very well), and it appears to be flesh colored/pink like the surrounding skin. It does not seem to have a head, nor a crater/indent in the center. It appeared yesterday after shaving 2-3 days ago. Last night, I sat in a hot salt bath and squeezed it and it popped (couldn't tell what color the discharge was because I was in water), and I applied antibiotic ointment to it and have been reapplying every couple of hours. Now it is swollen under the skin from squeezing it (kind of feels like whatever was inside the bump went inside my skin instead of out when I squeezed...I have no idea if this is possible, just trying to describe the "swelling").
I got an HSV test 2 years ago when I started dating my current boyfriend, when the symptoms had been recurring over the course of over a year already (so before we started dating & having sex)...symptoms always occurring only after sex that was too vigorous or inadequately lubricated, after using scented soaps/tampons (which I've since stopped doing), or from scratching/washing too hard or having clothes rub the wrong way...but those things only brought it on if it was shortly after shaving the area, not always. Anyway, the test for HSV2 was "equivocal", at a 0.94, and for HSV1 it was positive (from having a cold sore as a kid). The doc had told me that the bump did not appear to look like HSV, and that the equivocal test result could either be because A.) I was positive for HSV1 and the test was picking up those antibodies, or B.) it was a new infection that hadn't built up antibodies yet. Given that the symptoms had been recurring for over a year off and on, she pretty much ruled out a new infection and was confident that I was negative for HSV2.
I just can't help but shake my habit of fearing the worst though. I've since gone through a pregnancy and had a baby, and was never told throughout all of my screenings/blood tests that I was positive for anything at all or that there was any reason for concern. This is my first bump in over a year, as I have either been too pregnant or too lazy or too non-concerned with shaving the area beyond using a trimmer razor with a guard...but the other day I used my ol' triple-blade razor again, and here we go all over again.
What could this be? In my opinion, it doesn't resemble an ingrown hair (which are usually red), and it also doesn't resemble a herpes lesion (never scabbed or crusted over, no indented center, and it's not mind-numbingly painful, it just hurts when touched or rubbed the wrong way by clothing). I've also never experienced any flu-like symptoms, fever, additional vaginal discharge (besides what has been a slight increase on occasion ever since giving birth while everything heals as well as around the time of my menstrual period), any swollen glands or swollen genital area (again, it's only swollen now after squeezing the area). Unfortunately, I cannot afford to go to the doctor (I literally have less than $5 in my checking account and I have no insurance or Medicaid), and the free clinic is closed on weekends including Friday.
If anyone has any input based on my description, I would really appreciate hearing it. I'm sorry that this description is so terribly long, but I was trying to include everything so that someone can (hopefully) be able to better understand and offer some insight. Thanks in advance for any help!
Your boyfriend can be an asymptomatic carrier of HS1 or HSV2. Anyone can. Some people can be carriers of certain diseases, pass them on, and never have signs or symptoms themselves. It certainly would be a good idea if he had the free STD testing, if for nothing else, to put both your minds at rest.
Regarding your "lump", since it didn't become irritated with one type of razor, but did become irritated with another type, I'm guessing that the multi-bladed razor had different chemicals/ingredients in the lubrication strip, and that a dermatological sensitivity (perhaps from the shaving, itself) might cause the skin to become inflamed.
Squeezing any sort of bump in the skin will irritate the deeper levels of skin. That's why we're all told "Don't squeeze that zit...you'll make it scar!", so when you squeezed the lump while in the bath, you may have done some slight damage to the deeper tissues. It does sound as if there is a mostly-dormant infection/inflammation in that area. It also sounds like a cyst. They're not always inflamed, which means no sign of them. Then because of irritation (rubbing, chemical sensitivity etc) they can flare up.
Regarding your "lump", since it didn't become irritated with one type of razor, but did become irritated with another type, I'm guessing that the multi-bladed razor had different chemicals/ingredients in the lubrication strip, and that a dermatological sensitivity (perhaps from the shaving, itself) might cause the skin to become inflamed.
Squeezing any sort of bump in the skin will irritate the deeper levels of skin. That's why we're all told "Don't squeeze that zit...you'll make it scar!", so when you squeezed the lump while in the bath, you may have done some slight damage to the deeper tissues. It does sound as if there is a mostly-dormant infection/inflammation in that area. It also sounds like a cyst. They're not always inflamed, which means no sign of them. Then because of irritation (rubbing, chemical sensitivity etc) they can flare up.
you can't delete posts unfortunately. we'll just follow up over here from this point forward :)
you already have a well established oral hsv1 infection so highly unlikely that this is a genital hsv1 infection as suggested by the other poster.
at this point all you can do is be seen each time you have symptoms. If your partner gets tested and finds out he has hsv2, then you will need to repeat your hsv2 igg again just to be sure. If you can be seen when you have active symptoms ( which of course will only ever occur when you don't have time to go to clinic or clinic isn't open! ) and they suspect herpes, they can do the lesion culture to see if indeed it is herpes going on or not. Sounds like this isn't a herpes symptom though.
you already have a well established oral hsv1 infection so highly unlikely that this is a genital hsv1 infection as suggested by the other poster.
at this point all you can do is be seen each time you have symptoms. If your partner gets tested and finds out he has hsv2, then you will need to repeat your hsv2 igg again just to be sure. If you can be seen when you have active symptoms ( which of course will only ever occur when you don't have time to go to clinic or clinic isn't open! ) and they suspect herpes, they can do the lesion culture to see if indeed it is herpes going on or not. Sounds like this isn't a herpes symptom though.
umm hello you could have GENITAL HSV ONE down there, it isnt only HSV2 nowadays that you can have down there, it can be spread on the face, anus, thighs, some people claim to have it on their arms and legs, its a skin condition disease it is like chicken pox, it can be wherever it wants to, everyone has a different situation and I am tired of moderators stating that HSV only acts a certain way when we have no idea really how it reacts and there is no actual studies on it, no one cares, and it annoys me how they don't make this reportable to health officials.
No, he didn't...he's convinced that he doesn't have anything because he's never had any signs/symptoms in the now 2+ years that we've been together. (That, coupled with the fact that we don't have money or insurance to go to a doctor, and the free clinic can only test during an outbreak). I know that FEELING like you don't have anything does not mean that you don't, that's just how he feels...but if there was a Planned Parenthood in this town (or something other than the "free clinic" I just referred to which is a pregnancy center that also does free STD testing--herpes testing only with an outbreak present), then I'm sure he would get tested just to help put my fears to rest. I really appreciate you answering me back when I posted about this, you were/are really informative and helpful and you really helped put my mind at ease with the results I'd been given. I just always freak out all over again every time this happens, and my boyfriend is always trying to calm me down & remind me of what the doctor said.
Thanks so much for replying, and I apologize for posting in two forums...I posted in the other before I found this one...(it's been a while since I'd logged in). I will attempt to delete the other post.
Thanks so much for replying, and I apologize for posting in two forums...I posted in the other before I found this one...(it's been a while since I'd logged in). I will attempt to delete the other post.
did your partner ever get tested for herpes as I recommended back in january when you last posted about this?
grace
grace
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Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Millions of people are diagnosed with STDs in the U.S. each year.
STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
