I need some advise I am very confused and not really sure whats going on with me. About a month ago I had some iching and discomfort in the vagina area, well not really in the vagina but on the outter lip. I noticed that I had a small dark bump somewhat looking like a mole. Just as it appeared it disappeared two days later. Now once again it is back in the same place as the last one. It really does not itch its more of a discomfort feels somewhat painful like an ingrown hair when left alone but painful to the touch. Only this time its a bigger than last time. I tried popping it and nothing came out of it. I told my doctor of the problem and she said she thought it was an infected hair folicle. But took a herpes cuture just to make sure and now it seems to be going away but is bleeding not a lot but there are blood spots on my panties. Waiting for the results is driving me crazy. I'm very worried because I'm 7 mnths. pregnant and I'm worried that this might affect the baby somehow. I don't think at least i hope its not an STD. I was checked (blood test) at my first doctor visits for different stds and all of my results came back positive. And my only partner is my husband. Even thought my doctor told me that she didn't think it was herpes, I think she must have thought so why else would she take a culture???? Please Help!!!!!!

Hi Monicaro73,

I suspect your doctor was just being cautious in taking the herpes culture. If it's herpes, it's not a typical way for it to manifest. That's not proof it's not herpes, but it doesn't sound to me like it definitely is herpes.

*IF* it is herpes, it sounds like you would have had it for a while (asymptomatically), so the risk to your baby would be far less than if you'd just contracted it. It can be a concern when the mother contracts it during pregnancy, which is probably what your doctor is thinking about.

Assuming the culture comes back negative for herpes, you may still want to be a bit cautious about it. Whether this is a simple infection or something more complicated like herpes, you and your doc should probably keep a close eye on it approaching your birth time. If you get this thing again, get your doc to do another swab within 24-48 hours of its appearance. The longer you wait, the less likely you'll get an accurate result...*IF* it's herpes. You might want to do another blood test for herpes (type-specific, like the Western Blot test) just before the birth to double check on that possibility.

All this is probably over-cautious and you're probably fine, but with your pregnancy it might help to err on the side of caution (which is probably why your doc is running the herpes test). Studies have shown Valtrex (herpes antiviral drug) to be safe to take in the final stages of pregnancy, so in the worst case scenario (that you have herpes) there are options that can help.

Good luck! Keep us posted how you make out.

TheOneInFour