Rash

[sones]

Can herpes present as a mild looking red rash? Simply light redness. It also burns. I am waiting for 4 months to have passed since last potential exposure to take the blood test, since my symptoms alone are hard to classify as herpes. Although, I am concerned that’s what I have since my symptoms can’t be explained by anything else (burning and tingling sensation on my vagina and around my anus, pain in my abdomen). I first noticed symptoms In The beginning of January and then they subsided. Now, I shaved my bikini line yesterday, and today, the outer area of my vagina burns and there are red patches where I shaved as well as on the lower part of my belly. No blisters or bumps. It kind of looks like dry skin. Some of it is a little flaky. Could that be a mild expression of herpes?

[Terri Warren]

I really don’t think the rash that you describe as herpes. When women get a rash the burns around the vagina I always think yeast, not herpes. Yeast would not cause pain in the abdomen but neither would herpes. I’m not clear why shaving your bikini area would trigger anything around the vagina. Could you be sensitive to something you are using for shaving?

Terri

[sones]

Hello again. I am nervous about a lot of symptoms because ever since the first of the year, my genitals have felt uncomfortable. It started out as burning and tingling around the vagina and anus and then severe abdominal pain and mild back pain. My doctor ruled out a yeast infection, PID, and did a full STI panel including bloodwork for HIV and HSV. I tested negative for all. But, my last sexual encounter was a month ago, so the blood test is not necessarily reliable.

My symptoms are relatively constant. They wane, but never fully go away. Attached are pictures of things I find concerning. The redness around my anus has not gone away once since the first of the year. I wonder if it is a hemorrhoid, but with everything else going on, I worry that it is herpes. Also, the white spots on my vagina have not gone away. I have not seen any open sores, but these things concern me. What are your thoughts?

My doctor says it is thrush or something. He says he just doesn’t know what it is and that it’s very unlikely the tests are false negatives.

[Terri Warren]

Its difficult to be sure what is going on here and the pictures are not easy to see. The fact that your symptoms are constant vs. coming and going over the year suggests they are not herpes. It is good that your HSV testing was negative so far. Be certain that the testing that it is done is IgG type specific.

Terri

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