You may also want to get checked for Genital Herpes as Shingles is not typically found in the genital area. Precautions are the same as they are all infectious viruses. A sure sign is that Shingles only affects people who had chickenpox at one time.
"When the varicella-zoster virus enters its "quiet" phase after chickenpox, it remains dormant in certain nerves. The shingles rash will break out in the areas of the body connected to those nerve cells. As a result, only one section or side of the body is often affected. Common sites for rash include: the chest, back, buttocks, or neck, and sometimes the face and scalp.
The rash itself is reddish, with many tiny, fluid-filled blisters. For a few days, the rash spreads, although its extent varies from one person to another. The blisters will break, dry out, and then crust over."
from [url=http://www.mediresource.com/pages/PatientInfo.asp?DiseaseName=shingles&submit2.x=0&submit2.y=0]MediResource.com[/url]