herpes/ rash

[bigdig]

hello dr,
about 3 months ago i had sex with someone i didnt know and i wore a condom. the next day i noticed what seemed to be glandular pimple in my pubic area abot to finger widths up from my scrotum and also this little red bump that seemd to be something like an ingrown hair. The pimple i squeezed and it went away in 2 days, the "ingrown hair" remained for 3-4 weeks, even after i pulled the hairs around it with tweezers (oil came out). since then, the entire 3 months i have been having strange irritation in the entire pubic region sometimes calming down for a day or 2 then coming back. i have strange sensations ion this area constantly, ant sometime get just localized spots of redness. i have never notice any "blisters" so to speak. the last time i got the bad rash i noticed a tiny white spot, the rash has subsided and this tiny white spot remains and its hard and raised. it is on the otherside of my groin from where the pimple and ingrown hair was. i m going crazy!
1) does this sound like an atypical case or herpes or can you suggest something that may be
causing this
2) i am from canada and was wondering the best way to go about getting a herpeselect test (buffalo is fairly close)

[bigdig]

ok! i went to PA and got herpeselect testing after 13 weeks...........NEGATIVE!!!

[gracefromHHP]

if you are willing to cross the border into the US for testing - then go thru www.healthcheckusa.com or www.tstd.org.  Just a herpes select igg for hsv1 and hsv2 thru either of them runs you around $100 ( USD ).  You'll get your results via email within 48 hours.  Don't pay extra for the "doctors consult" on your results - just post them either here for HHH/EWH or post them for me over on the herpes community forum and we'll help you with them ( not sure how many posts you get for your original $$ here with EWH/HHH ).  

Otherwise - you can get a herpes select in canada if your doctor is willing to look into how to order it ( most think you can't get type specific testing done in canada but they are wrong ).  Lifelabs in canada offers the type specific testing - your doctor can contact them to learn how to go about ordering the blood test for you. You might have to pay for it out of pocket.

Hope that helps!

grace

[bigdig]

does pain in the groin/swelling happen only on one side?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

No, neither one without lesions or an outbreak.  EWH

[bigdig]

can a general sore feeling be attributed to herpes? or just strange sensations?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

There is nothing about the problem that you describe that suggests herpes to me.  Herpes typically takes about five days after exposure for lesions to appear and they never show up the following day.  My guess is that this was folliculitis.  Sometimes the "bump" of folliculitis can last quite a while.  Many commercial laboratories ave access to gG specific tests for herpes viruses.  My suggestion would be to contact your local STD Clinic and seek their advice.  I would be surprised if they did not know where you could get such as test without having to travel far.  EWH