| Jock Itch or GH? So confused
Ok, so I've been having an itching sensation on my scrotum for about four weeks now. At one point there was some burning, but that was mainly the first/second week and hasnt returned since starting treatment for Jock itch. I started treatment after a little over a week into the itching (and redness). I believe I did have jock itch, but I'm curious as to whether or not I have herpes as well.
I know I had jock itch because it was in my inner thigh as well as on my scrotum and started to make the hair follicles look like little red spots, which can happen with this type of infection. I also had it in my anal area because I could see the distinct line of infection. These seem to have cleared up. I was taking some strong antibiotics for cellulitis that I believe left my body open to the yeas infection/jock itch. The jock itch symptoms started a few days before ending my antibiotics.
However, my scrotum is still red (four weeks in) and has these cut/fissure like things on the sides, where most (not all) of the itching is (but like I said, ENTIRE scrotum is red, not just this area). The 'fissures' follow the direction of my pubic hair exactly, the hairs lay in these 'fissures'. I know that the skin can dry and crack with a fungal infection, but herpes can also look like 'cuts'. There were never any blisters or bumps prior to these cut marks.
I did started an oral antifungal (after two weeks of topical didnt work) and now I see that this redness is retreating back to the center of my scrotum, so to speak, as its moved away from the creases of my groin. Does this mean its jock itch?
Also, my neck was very itchy and kind of red when the genital itching started, but that went away in a few days. However, it is back again with a one small 'cut' on one side that could just be something that's been there and I never noticed till I got paranoid.
The thing that these three areas have in common is my razor, I normally dont use the razor I use for my genital area on my neck/face, but I know I did clean up a few hairs on my neck with it (not thinking about it at the time). Can herpes be transmitted via razor (I'm thinking yes), and if so for how long could the virus live on that surface? Because I hadn't had any sexual contact for about three months prior to these happenings, but I did have signs of what COULD have been (not definite) anal herpes about a month and a half before all this. During this time I did use my razor, but the virus would have had to stayed on the object for quite some time in order to reinfect the scrotal area right? I didnt think it could do that.
The 'cuts' are hard to see without the topical powder, and in fact I couldnt find them when I went to see a different doctor after those two weeks on topical powder only. However, they are there when no powder is present, but again, only on the sides of the scrotum in the more wrinkly areas.
The last of my symptoms are a pain in my legs (Uncertain whether or not it was muscle strain as I started doing yoga and stretching quite a bit more than usual), kind of in the crease area and upper calf that lasted for about a week, specifically week 3 only and are gone now. I also had a pain in my lymph nodes during this week, no swelling or tenderness, just a pain that lasted for a minute or two at random times during the day. But your lymph nodes react to infections, which jock itch is still an infection (which wasnt clearing) so... yeah. And actually I would get this pain at random times for years (before ever being sexually active).
If you've aken the time to read all this, first off I thank you.
Secondly, I would like to know if these 'cuts' are still worth swabbing with all the powder and drying I've done over such a long period,or would it just give a false negative? (I went to an STD clinic before noticing the cuts and in the physical exam she didnt notice anything other than redness)
Lastly, how long should I wait before getting a blood test? Three months from now, or three months from what could have been my initial outbreak? If it even was an outbreak (which is also confusing on the timing as well as the anal transmission). If it had been in my system, but only presented itself now, would I still have enough antibodies if I got tested now?
Again, sorry for the huge amount of text.
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