Article re: tampon/pad shortage in Zimbabwe

[madison-snow.livejournal.com]

I thought this was something everyone should be aware of:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4805516.stm

kinky kegels?

[ladyinsatin.livejournal.com]

Does anyone here get really horny or have mini-orgasms when you do your kegel exercises? They say that you can do them while doing the dishes, while driving, etc., but they make me waaaay too horny.

Does this happen to anyone else?

Ortho Micronor

[glitterspritz.livejournal.com]

If I missed my pill on Tuesday night, will I be protected by Saturday if I take it like I'm supposed to every day until then? I was SO tired last night that I missed the alarm that tells me to take my pill...and my one year anniversary is Saturday, so I really want to be protected. And please don't tell to just wear condoms until then...I'm allergic to latex and this small town doesn't really carry nonlatex options.

In case menstruating wasn't amazing enough...

[willow-starr.livejournal.com]

Stem Cells Extracted from Menstrual Blood

Getting BC while travelling in the states?

[sadistic-crayon.livejournal.com]

I'm busy planning for a big trip over to the US in august to stay with my boyfriend for two months. And I suddenly realized I wasn't sure what the deal was with getting cheap birth control over there. I'll be 18, travelling on a visa waiver, with a NZ passport, and I'm staying in Arkansas. Will I be eligible to get anything from planned parenthood or will I need to try and get a supply from home?

Spotty Mc Spotterton

[solitaryfairy.livejournal.com]

I'm curious about something.

How many women have spotting occur? How common is it?

My boss and i were talking yesterday (we're more like friends than anything, and super close) about the fact that i'm spotting again.

I was on Lo-Ovral for almost a year. I was having continuous periods for the last three-four months i was on it. So, my gyno changed me over to Yasmin. Im into my third week on the yasmin and have spotted since my 7th pill in the pack. What gives?

Is it really this common to spot all the way through a cycle? My doctor doesn't seem that concerned that im spotting. (some days it's practically nothing, while others, its almost like i have my period) It's getting a little frustrating, especially sexually. Thank god my boy doesn't get all squicky with blood!

ps. I do realize that it takes time for your body to readjust to new hormones. Im not asking that, im just curious, because this isnt the first pill this has happened with for me. kthx.

Cyst on Vulva

[theboleynorchid.livejournal.com]

I read the archives and google the hell out of the subject. I know what it is and why it is there, basically. Pea-sized tender cyst on the rightside of my inner labia. So inner it is almost in my vagina. That's how on my vulva it is. It hurts and I hate it. I am seeing my guy on Friday, and I would like to, you know. Well, I can't get a hot compress on the thing, I can't lance it, and it hurts too much to try to pop. Which, that can cause an infection anyway. So, any ideas on how to make it disappear faster or get some relief?

Oh! And I just started new birth control yesterday (levlen 28) as well new asthma meds (albuterol and qvar) as well as upped my dose of metformin for my PCOS. I also started my period yesterday. Just making sure I get all the info in there. As for stress my guy and I broke up 2/3 and went on a break instead of breaking up 2/5, and the last time we had sex was 2/6. We've been together for a year and four months and have been extremely monogamous. Also! He's a clean blood donor so he is tested often, and I was recently tested (December). So I definitely know it is a cyst and not herpes (I've never even had a cold sore, though I have had chicken pox).

Edit:
To add to stress I am also a full time college student and I work full time.

As for herpes, I've been tested through blood for it. My guy has also, since he is a nursing student and a blood donor who donates very often (he's O-).

Accident whlie trimming

[eebohc.livejournal.com]

So yesterday I was trimming my pubic hair over the toilet, and I accidentally cut my skin instead of the hair. I didn't really know what happened until I cleaned up and saw this little cut gushing with blood (Well I'm not sure if it's little, it's still kind of surrounded by hair). So I took a shower and wore a pantyliner the rest of the day to catch the blood.

I was wondering if this has happened to anyone before, or if anyone could offer some advice in keeping it from getting infected. I'm not too sure if I can put Polysporin down there. = S

Urethra Problems

[hgbluesparkles.livejournal.com]

I went to my gyn for urethral pain a couple of weeks ago. He noted that when he felt my urethra from inside my vagina it was inflamed and it was VERY painful for me. He sent me off to a urologist who perscribed pyridium 3 times a week, 3 pills a day along with an estrogen cream for use on the outside of my urethra. I was a little confused by him perscribing me the estrogen cream as I am not very dry in the area (he said that might be the problem since I have endometriosis and take Lupron injections for it) and most of my pain comes from the urethral tube but I thought I'd give it a try. Needless to say it hasn't helped that much and the pyridium makes me vomit every time I use it while the estrogen cream just produces an uncomfortable sensation.

Has anyone else had a problem like this and if so what was your treatment? The pain is in the uretral tube and opening. Urinating sometimes makes the problem worse, but I do not have any bacteria in my urine and do not have to go more frequently. Most of the time I feel the pain without urinating though. I do tend to feel pain in the area during intercourse but that could also be somewhat of a result of my endo.

virgin here.. how can a gyno tell if i've had sex?

[uhoh.livejournal.com]

hello.

i'm a virgin.. saving myself for marriage, and my boy has had some people tell him otherwise.. so now he isn't believing me, and thinks i had sex with my ex-boyfriend. i've never been to the gyno, but i'm willing to go to prove to him that i haven't had sex. i know that your hymen can be broken by things other than sex.. so in the case that it is.. will the doctor still be able to tell if i have had sex or not by other things? this is really important.

please don't judge.

Libido Loss

[http://users.livejournal.com/__mandymoo/]

Hey all, I'm a 19 year old female with libido trouble. I'm rarely in the mood, and when I do have sex I have trouble staying wet down there. It's very frustrating and upsetting. I've been with my boyfriend for 2 months now, (I've known him for 3.5) and we've fooled around a little (very minimal) and we've had sex 3 times. He's never gotten off through intercourse, and that makes me feel like I'm doing it wrong, he says I'm not but thats how I feel. I never want to have sex , I think it might be because I was raped in 2003. He knows about it, and says he's not going to hurt me, and I know that. I just don't know if he fully understands how I feel.

It's upsetting to both of us, and I feel horrible. I don't know what to do to help it.

Help

who trusts their BC?

[2am-sunrise.livejournal.com]

I know I've seen posts like this before, but I couldn't find any in the memories.

When I was on the birth control pill Mircette I trusted my pills and didn't use condoms and during the three months I was on the pills I didn't get pregnant.
But...this may sound weird, but it was like I could feel how that pill was working because I was having side effects from day 1.
With Levlen, its been a week and a half of pill-taking now so theoretically I should be safe, but I have yet to have ANY side effects.

So I guess I'm just wanting the reassurance of people saying "I've been on BC and not used condoms and let my partner ejaculate inside me and I haven't gotten pregnant!" and the like.

I've been in a monogomous relationship for over a year now and we both absolutely hate condoms. So I really, really want to learn to trust this pill.

Is this BCP-related spotting? (early period)

[astralplane.livejournal.com]

I'm just finishing up my...3rd? Yes, I think 3rd month on Cyclen. The first month I had no spotting during the month, and everything was awesome (not one of the side effects people suggest they've had, other than breast tenderness). I started on a Friday, and so took my last active pill on a Thursday. Like clockwork, about six-eight hours after I should have taken my next active pill (so, after the sugar pill), my period showed up. The only annoyance being I appear to be one of those lucky people for whom the pill elongates their periods and makes them heavier (I used to be about 3-4 days, now it's closer to 6-7, all pretty heavy)...then last month I started my period on the Thursday, so while still on active pills (the day of my last pill), and this month, it started today, two days before the beginning of the inactive pills.

Is this okay? Is it a sign of the pills being inefficient? Am I protected? Or should I just wait it out another month?

Thanks for any help!

Is this a safe way to store a condom?

[electric-colors.livejournal.com]

If this post is too off-topic let me know and I will remove it.

I acquired this keychain from my friend who got it in Germany. It holds one condom folded in half. It's made of hard plastic and I carry my keys in my front pocket of my jeans. My question is, is the plastic sufficient enough to protect the condom from my body heat? Or should I just use it as a keychain and not a condom carrier?

( Pictures of the keychain )

TCA Treatment and Results

[c-killgannon.livejournal.com]

On Tuesday I had the TCA (acid) treatment for molluscum. Should the molluscum have vanished that first day, or it is a gradual process? The woman at Planned Parenthood didn't say much after she finished, other than instructing me to lie there until the stinging stopped and not wash the area for six hours.

Thank you in advance!

Like to say thanks, and a question about orgasms

[maeganblue.livejournal.com]

My friend introduced me to this site and I have to say that there is some really great stuff here for all the questions I thought "Is it just me, or do other women have this sort of problem too?"

When I brought the topic of "shaving" up with her she was all like "Hey, they were just talking about that in one of my forums", and then she gave me the link.

So, i think this is just awsome that someone decided to create a space just for this.

I also do have a question, because this is one of the few things that's been bugging me (as a female) for the longest time.

I've had advice given to me, and I've tried some of it, other things sounded just to weird an uncomfortable to try, and i know if it's not comfortable, it's not really something you should do. But, the main problem is, that no matter what I do I just can't seem to get myself off.

I get right up to a specific point, and then I'm almost forced to stop for one reason or another. I found that KY helps on the clitoris, but even then when I use it, when I get close to the point of orgasm everything just sort of starts to ache. If I keep going the acheing just starts into mild pain and then there's no chance of me getting off at all.

Am I doing something wrong? Or could this be something to do with me being slightly over-sensitive?
I really just am clueless here.

Clotting Menstruation and Cramped Side of the Body

[journlynne.livejournal.com]

I have a quick question, I'm not terribly concerned but I don't know if there is a possibility that these things might be related.

this morning, I woke up and had a really stiff neck so I tried to lay down more comfortably and go back to sleep. The next time I woke up, the right side of my body felt cramped from the inside and I couldn't straighten up without shooting pains. I got up, went to the bathroom, put in my diva cup (I had just started my period) and went back to bed, but couldn't get comfortable. I told my fiance and he thought maybe I had a pinched nerve - which I'm not discounting, I'm just hoping that there is no relevancy. I fell back asleep and woke up without incident.

I was having nasty cramps today (but that's normal for me) but then when I cleaned my cup tonight, it was all clots. I haven't had that since I went off of depo provera, and my cramps have been bad, worse than my last couple periods. So, is there a chance that these things are related? Or maybe stress related?

Itchy Nipples

[the-fee-fairy.livejournal.com]

Right, this is driving me mad.

I had an infection in my right nipple piercing about 2 weeks ago, and now its maddeningly itchy. I thought this was an infection thing, but now the left one's started itching too (and it is not, and never was infected). The skin on the nipple itself is really dry and flaky/peely, and they're both so so itchy.
I've been putting moisturiser for dry skin on them every night, but it doesn't seem to be making a difference.

Please help!! Does anyone know if this is a weather/allergic reaction? Or whether its a 'get to the doctor now' thing?

(no subject)

[djrosiex.livejournal.com]

hello.

I know this is odd, but I'm at a loss. I am having trouble with my vagina. I've had sex with 3 men two of which were smallish and one which was average. Even the smallish men who messured in about 5 inches managed to spend a great deal of time just hitting my in my cervix. My current lover who is average is just under 7 inches and I often find sex quite painful. Full penetration is very painful for me as it forces further than .. I really have room and pushes against my organs. I've seen many gynos about this and they say there is nothing "wrong" with me just that I am especially petite. My partner is not very satisfied with minimal penetration and I often orgasm from p.i.v. sex my ... rubbing my clit against them durring sex. so I am really at a loss. Am I the only small vagina freak? if there are others how do you cope? I want sex but I don't want it to hurt. How would I find a sex therapist? Any other ideas? I scoured the memories, and I hope this hasn't been discussed before. I tried googling this but you try typing "small vagina problems." in google and see what happens. *laugh*

:(
-miss sore