Abrasions? Sores?

[Keeper_of_cats]

Hi! Do you have advice on how I can differentiate between a sore from an STI and a sore from rubbing against fabric/skin? I have a flat, itchy, red sore/abrasion on the inside of my butt, near my genitals. To me, it looks like irritation from underwear and rubbing (it probably doesn't help that I produce a lot of lubrication that makes pubic hair and cotton alike sticky and uncomfortable). It doesn't look like any descriptions I'm familiar with from Scarleteen or anywhere else of HSV or HPV or anything, but I obviously don't want to miss an STI. Ideally, when in doubt, I would see my doctor, but as a CSA survivor and trans man, genital examinations are really exceedingly awful experiences that I want to avoid whenever possible.

Assuming that it is an abrasion from the environment, is there anything I can do to deal with that? I can't exactly wash my genitals and change my underwear at work during the day, so I feel like it's going to take a long time to heal while continuously being irritated. I've considered covering it with a bandage during the day (when I have to wear pants), but I'm concerned about putting adhesives near fragile skin and mucous membranes.

[Sam W]

Hi Keeper_of_cats,

Ouch, that sounds uncomfortable. One suggestion would be to call an advice nurse (they're like a nurse hotline that's usually available 24/7) in your area. They'll likely tell you to see someone in person, but they may also be able to give you suggestions for how to cover or sooth the sore for the time being to see if the thing goes away.

If it turns out that this is not going away or is getting worse, you may have to see a doctor. If that ends up being the case, if you'd like we can give you some advice here about ways to approach that process that will (hopefully) make it not be awful.

[Keeper_of_cats]

I called the telehealth line for my province and spoke with a nurse, who said I should get a doctor to see it within 24 hours. I managed to get an appointment to see a colleague of my family doctor this afternoon and brought along a moral support, and suffered through the exam. It was pretty unpleasant, but the doctor confirmed that it's definitely not HSV or HPV, it might be a minor fungal infection or just chub rub, and it should go away on its own pretty soon. So, I'll be okay with some recovery time from the exam.

[Heather]

"Chub rub" is a totally new term to me, and it's making me grin.