On the subject of billboards...

[pradagirl.livejournal.com]

I was watching tough crowd on comedy central tonight and they mentioned this billboard located on Sunset Blvd. What's your take on this?






Are they taking it too far?

X-posted to feminist

Mirena and Menstrual Flow

[optissima.livejournal.com]

I've got an appointment for an IUD consultation/insertion on Tuesday. I'm pretty sure I want the Mirena for a number of reasons, but one of its biggest selling points concerns me: Everything I've read about it says it can lessen the duration and severity of menstrual cramps and flow, and can make menstrual flow stop in a significant percentage of women.

I don't want my periods to stop. My periods are very regular and cramps seldom interfere with any of my regularly scheduled activites for more than a day or two. To me, they're a sign that everything's working properly (and that I'm not pregnant).

If you have the Mirena, did it stop your period completely? Are there any factors (like weight or blood pressure or who knows what else) that might make it more likely for the Mirena to stop my flow?

Political Article Request

[darkprism.livejournal.com]

Hey ladies. Loyal reader here. Been around since there were 1200 superstars. :)

I attempt to keep up with politics and current legislation movements, particularly as they apply to women's rights and health. However, during the past few weeks and the past few political discussions I've had with my "conservative" fiance (Read, Republican) I find myself straining to remember vague references to things Bush has enforced while being in office as it concerns women's health.

I was wondering if:
A) Anyone could direct me to back articles concerning his actions on abortion - particularly the partial birth abortion fiasco which I have heard about 12 sides on, birth control, sex ed, etc. Just whatever you know of.
B) Any recommendations of sites you ladies read that keep up with this side of the political debate? My news sources (mostly mainstream) cover some of it (like the recent irritation and outrage that pharmacists are refusing to fill birth control orders on moral grounds) but I'm always interested in reading more. :)

Any help would be great. Just thought I'd ask.
May it be well with you.
~*~

tough decision

[kerimatheson.livejournal.com]

My boyfriend and I have been doing dialator treatments since about April. This has been a long and emotional process. He is very supportive and understanding. The place that he works shut down at the end of July and he is going to visit (and possibly stay) with his Dad, who lives on the other side of the country.I am fighting with the choice of taking them back when he goes. I am also interested in getting something from a sex store that is closer to the 2nd biggest and biggest in size.

http://www.vaginismus.com/vaginal%20dilators.htm

Any suggestions?

Vagina lovin' help requested

[aimingforpeace.livejournal.com]

Can anyone recommend some books/inexpensive videos on how to communicate your sexual needs to your lover? I've got a friend who's having some major issues with her relationship - a big part of it seems to be sexual incompatability. The guy she's involved with isn't very experienced, and she doesn't know how to tell him what she wants. I'm trying to dig up my copy of Nina Hartley's Guide to Oral Sex to give to them, but don't know of any other guides that are actually worth their salt.

Safe Space

[jaclyn.livejournal.com]

Dear VagPag members,


I know there has been some drama in the VeePee lately.


Drama is tolerable, being mean and name calling is NOT tolerable.

Remember Vp is a safe space, you will be banned if seen calling others names, or disrespecting other members.

We are personally going through each and every comment, so let's remain civil shall we?

Any questions? Email me.

Thanks,

Jaclyn Co-Admin

For those women who practice yoga:

[alien_sunset]

Inversions during your period not really a worry for endometriosis.

I thought this was interesting considering what I’ve always been told.

And thought I would open it up here for discussion as well.

(no subject)

[inconvenience.livejournal.com]

Somewhere I heard that sex on your period is good for you. Can anyone list me some why's and hopefully pull up articles or sites or well, factual proof that I can point to? My snookie and I are well aware that there are benefits but we're not sure of them.
I also think it'll be a great tidbit to pull out during a dinner party conversation, "Did you know that.."

Thanks

HELP!!!!

[jessfromva83.livejournal.com]

Ok, I had a colopospy thing done wend morning and now big chunks of black charcoally looking stuff is coming out of my vagina. What the hell is it? Should I be worried? It kinda looks like blood clots, but the "tissue" part is dark brown colored and the inside is that charcoally stuff. No one warned me about this....

edit: reading on webmd about this I think it maybe something used on the biospy sites to stop the bleeding that just has to fall out. Waiting on the doctor to call me back though.

Is there REALLY nothing wrong with me?

[hilorain.livejournal.com]

Last year, during August, my period had been a couple of weeks late. During the last week of August, I was masturbating and noticed if I stuck my finger up far enough I could feel this strange mass on the upper wall. It almost felt like there was something above my vaginal wall that was pushing into my vagina a bit. Later that day I started my period.

Before, my vaginal walls always seemed like they had no blockage and that it just ran clear upward with no interupptions. As the time has gone on, if I merely push on it it doesn't feel like much, but pushing it upward to go underneath it (ie during sexual intercourse) I feel pressure.

A couple of weeks after I discovered this I went to the gynecologist and she said that my cervix appeared perfectly normal. I wanted a second opinion and went to another gyno. She said that she felt what I was talking about but that she would schedule me for an ultra sound. What was shady to me about it is that she said nothing was wrong about it but couldn't seem to explain what it was other than maybe it was just further development (I'm a teenager). Okay, then why have I never heard of this before?

I got the ultra sound and they sent it back to her to have her look at it, and she said everything looked normal. I'm glad that it seems normal to them, but it still doesn't to me. If it didn't cause me any discomfort, I would stop thinking about it, but during sex it does sometimes. Not a lot, I can still enjoy sex, but I still notice it. Anyone have any clue as to what this might be?

(no subject)

[--noisemakers.livejournal.com]

How can you delay your period without being on BC?

(no subject)

[x--heart--x.livejournal.com]

I'm new. My name is Laura. And I'm actually kind of embarassed but oh well.

Today when I woke up I went to the bathroom and when I whiped myself afterwards there were little chunks of white.

So I didn't think anything of it...

Then I took my shower just now and I went to clean my vagina and there was more white chunky stuff inside my vagina. It almost looked like cottage cheese but no so watery.

Any idea what this could be from?

Could it have anything to do with I haven't been taking my birthcontrol or anti-depresents how I should be?

colposcopy question

[dearanxiety.livejournal.com]

i've been trying for a few days to check the archives, but i can't seem to get vaginapagina.com to open and i'm not sure how long the site will be down.

so, i'm looking for advice on colposcopies. i'm getting one. how much pain/discomfort is involved? anything i should be warned about or prepared for?

thank you.

An e-mail to my best friends

[iamosimer.livejournal.com]

I'm putting this in here, in the hopes that someone, somewhere, will help me out. Even the smallest suggestions are appreciated. Thank you.

( For Females Everywhere )

 Does anybody have any ideas or advice for me to go about doing this?

(This is x-posted in antirape and feminist.)

[Bad username or unknown identity: ~Rosa]

pain during orgasm

[im-sassy.livejournal.com]

for about three months now, maybe a little less, i have been having pain right at the moment of orgasm. it is like a stabbing pain in my clitoris/cervix/nerves of the vagina right when i come. this has never happened to me before and i'm scared. i went to one doctor who ran tests and did not find anything, and then went to a gynecologist who found gardnerella (BV). she put me on antibiotics, which didn't make the pain go away, and they gave me a yeast infection. she gave me something to treat the yeast infection and another round of antibiotics.
i'm confused though, because everything ive read on BV says that it shouldn't cause pain. could the BV make me susceptible to any other sorts of infections that could cause pain?
the other thing i didn't like was that both doctors kept saying, no matter what i tried to tell them, that lots of women have pain with intercourse. this has nothing to do with intercourse, unless of course it is something i got from having intercourse a while ago.
neither of the doctors had ever heard about this, and that's why i'm worried. has anyone here ever heard about this or experienced this?
thanks so much.

acidophilus supplements

[sadiemartha.livejournal.com]

I recently bought some acidophilus capsules to help in yeast infection prevention. I wouldn't say I'm prone to yeast infection - I've only had one, but, well... one was enough :) Also, I was on a course of Metronidazole for a BV infection, and my tummy still feels like it's not quite recovered from the antibiotics, so I suspect my natural flora populations aren't right yet.

I know I ought to just eat yogurt regularly, but I simply can't swallow things of yogurt/pudding/applesauce consistency. My gag reflex won't be reasoned with. So, I've got a few questions about these supplements: 1) how does the acidophilus "dosage" compare to that of a yogurt regimen? 2) we tend to buy 1% "Sweet Acidophilus" milk - I don't drink much milk every day, but is there a possibility that I could get too much acidophilus? I assume that swinging the balance too far towards the good bacteria could be harmful, too. 3) if I stop taking the supplements (I'm kind of stupid about remembering to take vitamins & such), will my body have a hard time keeping up since I've been spoiling it by spoon-feeding it acidophilus?

Thanks for your help, ladies (and possibley a few gents)!

brazillian wax catastrophe!!!

[starrox.livejournal.com]

( behind the cut due to length.. )

(no subject)

[jigglyqueen.livejournal.com]

Has anybody been watching big brother uk this year? Well... this is a bit naff but I'd just like to say that I was really touched by Nadia and her 'struggle'. I think she is living proof that you don't have to be born with a vagina to be a woman. To me she is such a strong woman, with such an inspiring story that I will definately use her as an example to my neices when they are older and to my daughters in the future. I can't quite put my finger on what is so amazing about her, but to me she is just 300% woman. I don't mean this to be a 'wow, nadia is a convincing woman!' thing, I mean it to be a respectful thing about how she is now one of my most admired women.

skipping periods = bloating/gained weight?

[punk-is-so-dead.livejournal.com]

when you skip your period with birth control, even if it's just one month, do you tend to keep on a couple extra pounds or feel really bloated during that month?

(no subject)

[brokenchild4evr.livejournal.com]

Hi im Erica and im new to this community... And im embarrassed to say what im going to say..here it goes. I have 'extra skin' down 'there'. Doctors said its a long clitoris and that other people have it.Im embarrassed that when I will start fooling around with a guy(I dont though) that he will be disguisted. Im so ashamed of it lol.
Does anyone have it(long clitoris)? is it normal?

This is embarrassing lol..

(no subject)

[cocoluvgodess.livejournal.com]

I have a problem...i think. And there's no one I can approach with it...which is why i'm posting here.

Today, at work. I felt a strange like iching/ burning feeling in my feminie area. I thought it might just be that my tampon was in wrong. So i went to take it out. And as I did...i noticed bumps around the opening of my vagina. Like in it almost. They don't hurt when I poke them. They were never there before- i Know that deffinatly. They look just like regular fleshy vagina material...they aren't differnet colored. THey're like misshapen bumps under the surface of the skin. I looked at them with a mirror when I got home. It's like 1 bumb, that's shaped all weird. It's not bubbly.
It's almost like they're blocking the whole to my uterus.

I'm really really scared.

I'm not sexually active(i've never had intercourse or recieved oral sex)--I'm a vigrin. I'm only 17. A

I've never really had problems down there before. Except that the past year or so I've had excruciating cramps and back pain when I menstrate. I'm on the pill.

I'm scared it's something serious. Does anyone know anything? Should I wait it out and see what happens. Should I wait until my annual physical in 2 weeks? Should I talk to my mom (we're not really close it might freak her out, and it would be uncomfortable ..mui so)

HELP! I'm freaking out!

What are the chances I have a vaginal tumor? Or cancer? Or contacted an STD from a toilet!?
I'm so terrified.

Spotting and Reproductive Ability

[neoterrikae.livejournal.com]

I recently went to a nurse practitioner at my school to get another prescription for NuvaRing. I told her that I was also interested in Seasonale because i would have fewer periods and she told me that any bc pill will give that effect if taken a particular way. She told me that i could do so with the ring if I wore it for 27 days, then put a new ring in. I could do this continuously for as long as I like and I won't get a single period. She also mentioned that when spotting begins, it is because there is a low level of hormone in my system and thus it would be less effective.

For the first time in the entire year since I have been using the NuvaRing, I have begun spotting (and it's only been 19 days since my last period) and I am wondering if it is because there is a low level of hormone in my system, so that the ring is now less effective (even though it shouldn't be). It is quite critical that I know whether it is less effective or not because for the first time in my life, I am planning on having condom-free sex with my boyfriend of four years, but I would still like to be protected. I trust him completely, and we are monogamous and this decision was well thought out. But, I will be starting my period in a few days and want to know 1) is it safe for me to have condom-free sex during my period because i will not be wearing a ring? Should I wear a ring? I really would like to have sex without a condom wiht this man. I really would like to take our relationship to the next level and would just like to know if this is a wise or viable course of action.

Thanks for any assistance you can give.

H. <333

x-posted