Aa
herpes, rash?
Hi. I had protected sex with a new partner for the first time tuesday. thursday we also had unprotected sex. prior to both occurences, groomed using an old set of clippers, particularly in the area affected. on friday i started noticing scattered small red bumps only on the scrotum up to the base of the penis. saturday they were the most prominent. today, they have started to flatten and dry out, but they are still very visible. they are not occurring in the classic clustered vesicles on erythematous base pattern you would see in herpes, but from what i've heard, there is a variety in presentation. i have only gotten a couple hours of sleep a night since this started happening, and saturday night i also started getting sick. at this point i have a sore throat as well, but my understanding is that with an initial herpes outbreak, the prodrome occurs before the onset of bumps. at no point did the bumps develop into vesicles. they did not rupture. now they are drying out. the worst part is that i had to talk to my partner about it and ask her some difficult questions. she says that she is clean and has never had any rash or bumps in the genital region in her life. moreover, this is only the second sexual partner i have been with. is there any chance this could be an initial herpes outbreak? do i need to get tested and if so, how reliable would the culture be since the bumps have already started drying out and never developed into vesicles or noticeable ulcerations? help!
Best Answer
thank you grace. i went and got it checked out today just to be sure. i'm quite paranoid with these types of things. doctor said he honestly wouldn't worry about it, but swabbed for culture and PCR just in case...mainly for peace of mind. from what i understand, PCR is the way to go. if this comes up ok, then i'll breath another sigh of relief. i appreciate your reply.
i should also note that they bumps which are flattening out, a couple could potentially have very subtle central umbilication, are not tender at all. they are red and drying out. they do burn in varying degrees from time to time, but symptoms are very mild at this point which is only a couple days since i noticed them (friday). no vesicles, oozing, or any of that stuff. i can squeeze on them without feeling pain. i hope i am worrying unnecessarily. this is only my 2nd partner and i can guarantee she has no active lesions and says she has never had anything like that. any thoughts?
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You are reading content posted in the Herpes Community
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.
odds are that neither of you have ever been tested for herpes before. you both getting herpes igg blood testing is never a bad idea while it's on your minds so that you know who has what. Also don't hesitate to ask specifically how your partner has been tested for std's ( as well as tell her how you've been tested too ). Some women assume that a yearly pap is std testing and it isn't - you need additional testing done.
grace