Question:

I just saw my ob/gyn today for pain from what i thought was a cut from shaving my pubic area. I saw sore like blisters (open sores) and thought that it was probably from cutting myself while shaving. My doctor told me that it is genital herpes. I don`t want to believe that thats what it is. Could it just be bumps that I shaved over that made it look like open sores from genital herpes? Can I take a blood test to determine whether or not I really have HPV?

Answer:

Yes shaving could cause sores that appear to be HSV lesions, but if you saw blisters, it was not likely from shaving. The only true way to tell is by taking a culture of the lesions. Even a blood test won’t help because even cold sores are caused by HSV and would show a positive test. You need a culture of the lesions, rather than a diagnosis based on visual inspection.

For more information:

Go to the Gynecology health topic.