herpes on the knees?

[pullo1]

Hi Doc, I am in hell.  I had slept with and had heavy petting but not intercourse with a very risky women.  I was naked and rubbed on her groin while she had panties on.  I did ejaculate on her but did not penetrate her or come in contact with her vagina that I know of.  A couple of days later I had a blistery itch on my knee cap which turned into a red bumpy rash.  It did not bother me.  I believe I had leg pains.  A week later red bumps and a clustery red looking area appeared on  my right knee and I had some red bumps on my arms here and there. I am awaiting blood tests, but I believe I received herpes from viral shedding.  Is this possible considering the scenario.

[pullo1]

Thanks Doc, I think I am screwed.  What bad luck.  Didn't even have intercourse and got it anyway. I knew I was risking with this girl.  I am a fool and paying for it.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

If you have never had herpes and you rubbed you right knee on a place where your partner had herpes lesions or asymptomatic shedding of the virus, you could have inoculated yourself and the rash that you experienced could be herpes.  That it recurred in about the same place, as I understand it, is also consistent.  While it is consistent however, it is most unlikely.  The only way to really sort this out is to have the rash, if it is present now, tested with a herpes culture of PCR test.  If the lesions have been there for several days, it could still be herpes and still have a negative test because it is in the healing phase (even if it doesn't look like it).  Unless you've had them in the past, a blood test will be little help because while it can tell you whether of not you've ever had herpes, it cannot tell you if the lesions you describe are herpes.

Hope this is helpful.  Please let us know what happens.  EWH