Low positives now a rash

[sendhelp1]

I’m a 29 year old male. I had one unprotected (vaginal/oral) encounter on 6/1. No herpetic symptoms at all, but I got a 10 panel IGG test on 6/14. IGG HSV1: equivocal, HSV2: 1.28. No symptoms following these results, but I got tested 4 weeks from the encounter on 7/4. IGG HSV1: 2.00 HSV2: 1.30. No herpetic symptoms following this test (I was aware of the symptoms at this point). Then I got tested 7/25 (7+ weeks) and IGG HSV1: 3.45 HSV2: 1.4. My doctor said my right groin lymph node was slightly swollen, not cancerous/could be from trauma or infection, or because I’m thinner. No symptoms at all following that. August, I felt sporadic tingling around my lips, 1+ hour at most. Not daily, a few isolated occurrences. No sores inside/around mouth, no other symptoms. Slight tingle from the sun at the beach. I just started using hyaluronic/ceramide face wash 1-2 weeks leading up to tingling. Apparently tingling can happen with them. Slight tingling in my cheeks one night, did not last long. Last lip tingle was 8/15. I went to urgent care 8/17 because the tip of my penis by urethra was a little red. Nothing showed up in urine/redness looked like nothing to the doc, but to be safe he got me on Cephalexin for 7 days. Come 8/22, I had phone sex at night w/ my partner and masturbated harder than usual. I wake up 8/23 and there’s a flat red rash on left side of shaft and a bit on left lower head, flat but no blisters/bumps, no other symptoms. Only slight discomfort while working that day, not terrible. Morning 8/24 rash looked less red, no HSV symptoms. Late afternoon, discomfort came back and the rash was back, left side of my scrotum was now red. Tonight, there’s tiny isolated flat spots, under the hair follicles at the very bottom of my shaft/in pubic hair area too, most had hair sticking out of them, no fluid/flat , not painful. No symptoms. None were on the left side of the shaft,minor burning left side of scrotum, not on the shaft.

Does this sound like HSV?

[sendhelp1]

Other possible things I’ve come to think it is: Masturbating too hard, or maybe a reaction to Cephalexin? Its known to cause yeast infections.

[sendhelp1]

Update from morning/urgent care:

Redness in shaft decreased. Still red on left side scrotum. Spots by hair follicles are less noticeable, not bumpy or blistery at all.

Doctor at urgent care send it doesn’t look herpetic at all or like any other STD. She told me to just use hydrocortisone for a few days. I’m seeing my primary care doctor on Monday.

Hopefully all of this context helps you get an idea.

Thanks

[Terri Warren]

None of this sounds anything like herpes to me. Your low positive could certainly be a false positive. You should obtain a better confirmatory test like the western blot, as we cannot say for certain that you don’t have herpes, even though your symptoms don’t sound like herpes. Does that make sense?

Terri

[Author]

Posts