Herpes or yeast infection?

[betrayed]

Two weeks ago, over the course of several days, another woman performed oral and digital sex on me. She used her own vaginal secretions to lube me because I was very dry. She also used her fingers in my anus. The day after we departed from one another I came down with a severe sore throat and swelling in the glands under the jaw--first on the left side, then on the right. Swallowing was very painful, as was yawning and sneezing. However, I had no fever, nor any other sypmtoms to indicate flu, etc. The next day, I began to itch in my vaginal area. The itching was intense for a few days, and then gradually changed to a burning feeling with a pricking sensation in my clitoral area. I looked at my vulva with a mirror and saw a red rash there--around my clitoris, around the vaginal opening, and on the inner labia. There were no distinct lesions, no bumps, etc. Just a rash that burned, like diaper rash. There was slight discharge but it seemed to be of the normal kind--no odor, no odd color (just clear). When I urinated I had to blot the area with water, or the irritation would increase.
Additionally: 1) I trimmed my pubic hair prior to having sex with this woman, and I noticed that the ends of the hairs felt sort of sharp and stabbing;  
2) I had a bubble bath the first night I spent with her
3) The sex went on for hours at a time and was at times rather rough;
4) We did a lot of deep kissing;
5) My partner told me that she had had a bad sore throat about two weeks prior to our meeting;
6) The day after my sore throat began, I used my own saliva to lube my vagina
7) It is now two weeks since we first had sex and the burning has calmed down quite a bit and the rash seems to be going away. (I used a homeopathic remedy two days ago.)
And the most alarming thing of all: one week after our encounter my sex partner told me that she has genital herpes. She said that she had no lesions at the time we had sex, but I know that this is no guarantee the disease was not transmitted to me.
I need advice on how to proceed from here--I am frightened and can hardly stand not knowing if I have herpes. But I've heard and read so many conflicting things that I just don't know what to do. I researched your archives thoroughly but didn't see any question that was quite like mine. Thank you for your help.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

As you surely understand, I can't make a specific diagnosis.  Your symptoms do not sound like herpes; they are more like yeast; but I can't be at all certain about either of these, or something else.  If the symptoms persist, you'll need to see a health care provider for accurate assessment.  My guess is it won't turn out to be herpes.

No STD can cause symptoms in less than 24 hours after exposure, so you can be sure your sore throat and possible swollen lymph nodes the next day were not acquired during the sexual exposure you describe.  The other details--shaving, bubble bath, specific sexual practices, etc--don't seem pertinent.

So bottom line:  see a health care provider knowledgeable about STDs, such as your local health department STD clinic.  Or, if you live in or near a major metropolitan area, with a little word-of-mouth research, you likely can find a provider in your community who is familiar with STDs and health issues in lesbian women.

Good luck--  HHH, MD

[young_n_worried]

I have the same symptoms that you are describing.  The only difference is that I haven't been sexually active (and that was with a condom) since May of this year, which is six months ago.  Every other site that I have looked on said that the first signs of herpes are after a couple of days to a week, but this is six months later!! It's more of an itchy rash rather than blisters.