[Question #2252] Herpes, Folliculitis, Molluscum, none of the above?
 |
99 months ago
|
Hello,
29 year old male here, hoping to clear up a bit of confusion about whats going on "down there". I was sexually active with 3 girls in the past couple months, kind of regular hookups which sometimes involved condoms, and sometimes did not. About a month ago, I was shaving my pubic region, and the strangest thing happened...As I was shaving the area above my penis (the pubic hair region) red bumps started immmediately popping up. I've gotten shaving bumps many times in the past, but right away I could tell that this was different. A month later, they are still there, some isolated, some in clusters, about 15 total. They are small, pimple like with a white head and some redness around. Mostly in the pubic hair area, but there are one or two on the base of the penis, and strangely one very very small one on my foreskin. There is nothing on the head. They dont really hurt, dont really itch. I've been looking at photos of herpes, folliculitis, molluscum, and it is all starting to blur together and it's tough to differentiate. I am currently uninsured, so I figured I'd start here. Thanks for the time.
29 year old male here, hoping to clear up a bit of confusion about whats going on "down there". I was sexually active with 3 girls in the past couple months, kind of regular hookups which sometimes involved condoms, and sometimes did not. About a month ago, I was shaving my pubic region, and the strangest thing happened...As I was shaving the area above my penis (the pubic hair region) red bumps started immmediately popping up. I've gotten shaving bumps many times in the past, but right away I could tell that this was different. A month later, they are still there, some isolated, some in clusters, about 15 total. They are small, pimple like with a white head and some redness around. Mostly in the pubic hair area, but there are one or two on the base of the penis, and strangely one very very small one on my foreskin. There is nothing on the head. They dont really hurt, dont really itch. I've been looking at photos of herpes, folliculitis, molluscum, and it is all starting to blur together and it's tough to differentiate. I am currently uninsured, so I figured I'd start here. Thanks for the time.
 |
Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner
99 months ago
|
This sounds to me like molluscum, it does NOT sound herpetic in the least. If you are unable to see a health are provider for insurance reasons, you could go the county clinic where you live. You can also look very closely and if see if there is a little dent in the top of the lesion. If there is this is likely molluscum. You could try squeezing one and see if you get a hard white core out of it -keep the area very clean with alcohol before and after you do this.
Terri
---
Terri
---
|
99 months ago
|
Thank you very much for the info. If we operate under the assumption of molluscum, am I contagious for as long as I have these bumps, is this a virus that I can pass on even when asymptomatic, how does that all work? Any tips on getting rid of them? Thanks again!
|
Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner
99 months ago
|
If the bumps are there, you are infectious to others, yes, and it is possible for perhaps a month after they are all gone, that virus might still be present, to be on the safe side. After cleaning the area well with alcohol, you can nick the center of the lesion with a sterile needle and try to squeeze out the contents. If it is molluscum, you may see a hardish white core come out. They do bleed, so keep it clean with alcohol until it stops bleeding. Alternatively, you can go and see a dermatologist when you have sufficient funds for the visit.
Terri
---
Terri
---