HERPES

Can pimples in my genital area mean I have herpes?

Dear Dr. Amy:

I am a young male, and I am not sure if I have herpes or not. I have itchy bumps in my genitial area, resembling pimples, sort of. I am very worried about what it might be and if you could help me with this, I would be very grateful. It is causing me great trauma. 
Young male

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Dr. Amy’s Response:

Dear Young Male,

Your question is similar to others I have received. The only way to know if these symptoms are herpes is to go to your doctor for a test. The “pimples” can be swabbed or scraped for use in a laboratory test to determine if this is herpes or another infection. An active sore can provide the most accurate test results, so this is the time to go for your test. Not knowing what is wrong can cause more trauma due to speculating and worrying. Let me know how it goes.

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