I’ve never been tested for herpes, tested for every other std and always been negative. I’ve had a stray bump come and go but never really considered herpes. Thought it’d just be a pimple or ingrown hair since it was never that classic cluster picture shown of herpes. 

Well 3 years ago I had laparoscopic surgery to fix an ovary, however my incision was more like a traditional c section, they cut straight across between my hips and not in small circles as is the usual for laparoscopic surgery. A few days before surgery I had unprotected sex with a straight white male. 

After surgery I experienced tingling nerves around my hips. Nothing painful, just a light pins and needles sensation and when I brought it up to my doctor at the time they attritubated it to nerves being cut during surgery. However it’s been 3 years now and this tingling is still here and constant. Everyday for the past 3 years although if I don’t think about it, it tends to go away. 

Now I didn’t link this tingling to potential herpes until last week I got what looked to be a blackhead and ingrown hair (both had a black center and hair growing out of them, the ingrown hair looking one was purple in color at first as well) close together. I messed with them and blood and puss popped out. Then the next day it was just one white blister that also popped out thick white puss and now they are healing although it does seem to be leaving a scar. 

A week after popping I still feel the tingling in my hips. 

I’m nervous because I’m looking to start a romantic relationship which will eventually escalate to sex, does this sound like I have herpes and do you recommend getting tested for it? I don’t have an active pimple anymore so who would I see? General doctor? OBGYN? Derm? Thank you. 

I'm glad you found us to ask your question about herpes.  I think you've also had some concerns about other STI's as well, right?

What you describe sounds absolutely nothing at all like herpes to me.  Most certainly not.  Herpes does not have a black center or hairs growing out of them.  Neither does it have pus in it. 

Tingling is a very non-specific symptom and could be from so many causes, including anxiety.

If the tests were better, I might recommend testing to reassure yourself, but they yield many false positives and I would strongly recommend against testing in  your situation, unless, for the most reassurance, you wanted to do the gold standard herpes western blot from the University of Washington.  You can work with your own provider to get that or with me at westoverheights.com. 

But again, this sounds absolutely nothing like herpes to me.

Terri

Just to clarify one of the bumps (the ingrown hair one) had two thick hairs growing out of the edge of it. Not necessarily IN the bump but the root of the hairs could’ve been in. It’s honestly hard put their exact placement with words and not a picture. Regardless of hair, both bumps did have a dark or black center to begin with. I then messed with and popped them so that blood and puss came out and it reformed to look like a pustule. Just a circle of puss. White puss specifically with again the hairs still sort of on the edge of it. Does it still not sound like herpes? 

Also in 2020 I had two red bumps maybe an inch or two apart on my upper thigh/buttcheek. Could those have been herpes? 

Do you recommend against testing even if I am looking to begin my sexual activity again? Or should I just wait if another one of these pimples shows up again and get swabbed then? 

A yeast infection can indeed cause some splitting of the skin if it's bad enough, yes. 

If the tests were better for herpes, I would say fine, test before beginning a sexual relationship but unless you do the herpes western blot, I don't recommend this testing with these particular symptoms.  I don't believe that the symptoms that you describe are related to herpes.  Obviously, I can't be certain over the internet, but I can tell you, my best guess is that this isn't HSV

Terri