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Herpes Scare

I'm male and on Saturday I had sex for the first time and received oral without a condom. The following day about 14 hours later on Sunday, I felt like I had a rash/rug burn in my upper inner left thigh that gets irritated by my clothing, but there's nothing there that looks like it's a rash and no bumps. I'm really stressing out and worrying that this could be really bad. It's been about 36 hours now and I still have the pain/burning feeling on my left thigh. I also exercise a lot so I am really hoping it's two unrelated things, but I'm really worried.
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207091 tn?1337709493
COMMUNITY LEADER
You wouldn't get symptoms of any STD that quickly - the absolute minimum is 48 hrs.

Either it's anxiety, irritation from friction, working out or clothing, or it's something else totally unrelated.

Try to relax. I know there's a lot of anxiety about having sex, especially for the first time, but this doesn't sound like an STD.

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Okay, thank you. I feel a little better now. I got worried because I read online that pain in your thighs could be an early sign, but if you can't get that in under 24 hours, then it must be something else
It can be, but don't take things out of context, which is really easy to do when you're panicked, or when you're on a site that doesn't give complete info.

So pain in your thighs can be prodrome, which is a warning sign that an outbreak is impending, but for a new infection, that wouldn't happen until at least 48 hrs has passed, and for a new or established infection, it would also be followed by an outbreak (blisters or paper-cut like sores) within 48 hours.

The thigh pain is usually an ache in your muscles, or a tingly feeling deep within. You might get a burny or tingly feeling on your skin - everyone is different, so prodromes are different, but it could also be that having sex stretched some muscles you don't use often.

It could also be anxiety, or a hyper-awareness of your body given that it was your first time. I don't mean to discount your symptoms at all - anxiety can give you actual real physical symptoms.

For the next few days, keep yourself busy and your mind occupied on other things, and see if you continue to notice it. If you do, see your doctor for it, but it's not an STD.
It has been four days now and I still have the burning feeling on my left inner thigh (similar to what you described) with nothing physically there. I'll probably make a doctor's appointment if it continues tomorrow.
Definitely make the appt. Be open to all possibilities, not just herpes as a diagnosis.

It's way too early to test for herpes, but you can get a blood test now to see if you already have it. Ask for a type specific IgG blood test. If it's negative now and positive later, you'll know it's a new infection.
If I had it though I would see something physical besides just feeling the pain in my thigh right?
Also, it would have to be new since that was my first time?
I've already said I don't think you have it. You got symptoms too soon.

I'm only telling you about the test in case you decide to do it anyway. If you get the wrong test, and it's a false positive, then it send you down a spiral that could take months to get out of.
I ended up going to the doctor a few days ago and they agreed with you that the symptoms came on too fast. I still feel similar symptoms to prodrome with a burning sensation in my inner thighs. Today my thighs felt a tiny bit itchy and I noticed 4 tiny red bumps on my right inner thigh. They look like they could be pimples but they look new and are pretty red
I think if I still feel symptoms in a few days, I'll go to the doctor again. It's just really frustrating and confusing because the symptoms feel like a prodrome but the timeline doesn't make any sense, and if it's not herpes, I'm worried about what it could be. I really didn't think I would still be feeling this way 8 days later.
It wouldn't be a prodrome anymore - prodromes only happen within 1-2 days before you get an outbreak. You haven't had that.

Tiny red bumps can be folliculitis, pimples, staph, or a host of things. It's not at all likely to be herpes.

It's time to start looking outside herpes for the cause of your symptoms. I don't know if it's anxiety, an allergy to something, or what, but it isn't herpes. Don't do yourself a disservice by only focusing on herpes to the point that you miss something else that might be the cause.

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