01/18: I started experiencing a strange feeling in the crease of my right butt cheek and in the space between that crease and lower right labia (I'll call this my "target area"). Nothing visible. I also had pain in my right leg, especially felt when bending the knee. The pain was mild (3/10 at most) but didn't feel like pain from trauma or cramping. These exact symptoms recurred through 09/18. 

Sporadically, I experience discomfort wearing thongs (the thongs I've always worn would leave imprints on my skin between my butt cheeks). Most notably, the "chaffing" feeling in my target area randomly comes and goes, sometimes lasting a few hours then fading, sometimes a few days/week. 

I've had 2 STI panels (excluding herpes) by two docs conducted since this started. Nothing. I've never had any "lesions" (I would inspect myself with a mirror+flashlight several times/day), but I do get pimples on my butt cheeks. To me, they are virtually indistinguishable from the pimples one gets on their face (I have mild acne). They are often pus-filled (not clear). They do not hurt unless I really mess with them. I also get them on both cheeks, but seem to get them more often on my lower-right butt cheek. Usually one at a time; if a few, then very spaced out across the cheek/both cheeks. Never clustered. They never burst or ulcerate; they just heal normally. Derm/doc say folliculitis. 

I am absolutely traumatized by all of this. My gyno keeps brushing me off but I am not convinced. Please help! 

When you say they recurred from 1/18 to 9/18, do you mean all the time or intermittently?  How often does it come?

Nothing you have described here sounds like herpes to me.  Herpes does not come and go in a matter of hours and usually an outbreak is accompanied by lesions that are visible but you aren't having those.

The pimples on your bottom sound nothing like herpes to me. 

Have you considered an antibody test for HSV to try to sort this out?  Pros and cons for you?

Terri

Thanks for your prompt response!

When I mentioned the same symptoms recurred, I meant that they had somewhat ceased in between 01/18 and 09/18. During both these months, I felt the extent of the symptoms described in my first paragraph, whereas during the months in between I've felt the "chaffing" feeling in my target area randomly comes and goes (sans leg pain). The rest of the symptoms seem to come and go very randomly; I haven't kept track of exactly how often they come, but often enough to keep me up late Googling about this intermittently for months on end. 

I actually had one of the pimples on my bottom swabbed for HSV (the pimple was nearly healed at that time) — it came back negative. 

You've clearly been worrying about this for a long time and your symptoms have continued to cause you consternation.  I'm so sorry you've been going through this for so long

Generally, herpes lesions on the buttocks occur in groups of water blisters on a red base.  They tend to be very tender and deeper as the skin of the buttocks is thicker than that of the labia so it also takes longer for the skin to heal so outbreaks tend to last longer on the buttocks than those on the labia, for example.  And herpes lesions on the buttocks will often leave scaring -for the same reason - disrupted thicker skin.  I would say that most buttocks lesions take more than a week to heal and sometimes more than 2 weeks. 

Nothing that you have described in either of your two posts sounds herpetic to me but that's an educated guess. 

I am also not concerned about the intermittent leg pain especially with bending your knee - that really has nothing to do with herpes.

You can order your own IgG test without a physician order using any number of online services.  If you do that, only order IgG testing.  Never IgM testing.  And if you obtain an index value result of 1.1 to 3.5, you will need a confirmatory test as there are false positives in that range.  General screening of the population for HSV is not recommended but in your situation, you have symptoms that have plagued you for a very long time now and your anxiety may be reduced with a negative test.

Have you ever had cold sores on your lip or in your nose?  that would be HSV 1.  About half the population has HSV 1 infection.  I think what it sounds like here is that you are most worried about HSV 2 and if that it the case, only order HSV 2 IgG.

Terri