2006-12-08

lube/prolonging period

Alrighty, can anyone suggest a lube that doesn't have glycerin in it? I've heard that the glycerin can cause yeast infections for girls that are prone to them, and I just got over one (for the first time I fought it and actually won without having to wait it out for a 478659784 days, high five!). Is there any other ingredient I should be wary about?

Another question- I'm going to fly out to Oklahoma to see my wonderful boyfriend on the 14th, and I might start my period sometime while I'm there. Is there anything I can do to prolong my period? (I'm not on any birth control, by the way) It isn't the end of the world if I can't. But he joined the military and I won't be seeing him for at least six months, and I'd much rather be having a sex marathon with him than be on my period, making me even more emotional that I won't be seeing him for months. Though, the shower is always an option :D
Just curious.

Thanks a million!

Chewable, mint flavored BC pills!

http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/12/07/chewable.contraception.ap/index.html ; Isn't that awesome?!

Ready for Boric Acid? + Safety of Hydrocortizone

( (1.) When IS it time to use boric acid? Should there be tests done to check my vagina pH to see if the boric acid will even help? (2.) Should I still use the hydrocortizone cream to combat the itching? )

Current Mood: nervous

BC/ages/morning after pill/losing virginity

I know this community sees a lot of posts of this nature, but I have a few specific questions to add. I am turning 18 next week, and my SO is 25. We are planning to have sex for my 18th birthday: I am currently a virgin.

1. Birth control: We will use condoms, but since we have a long-distance relationship, I will not want to go on the pill or anything longterm (expensive) just for a once or twice this month occasion. I have a friend on the nuva ring, is that a cheaper and OK option for a 1-month protection period? I do not like the idea of relying soley on a condom.

2. Is it illegal to have sex with someone 7 years older than you with our ages? I live in SC if this helps.

3. Does the morning after pill go bad? Could I buy one and save it for whenever over the next year .. in case I ever need it?

I am just a little nervous about doing something so new for the first time and want to feel secure enough about all this stuff to concentrate on the sex! I'd love any other first-time hints or tips as well... I'm very much in love and not pressured at all to do this, but i'm still nervous! Thanks so much in advance, this community is amazing.

HBC Skipping period question.

OK, so, first off, i am male. No vagina. Sorry. :(
However the question i would like to ask is about my sig. other. (Who is female! :D)
We're currently in a loving, monogamous, long distance relationship and because of that we haven't seen each other for a number of months now. So the sexual tension is high on both our parts. Now unfortunatly due to having to work over the christmas break in order to afford university, i'll only have about 5-6 days with my SO when she comes to visit me over Christmas. However, as luck would have it (i'm sure you all guessed by now...) she'll be on her period. Which, to me, isn't that big of a deal. Period sex isn't that gross. it's just a little messier. However she wants to skip her placebo week and go straight to a new pack. Although i appricate the gesture, i'm a little worried/concerned. I am well educated sex wise (was the only one in my grade 10 class to name every sort of BC, :D), however i don't know everything and well, i'm wondering what health risks can be associated with skipping the placebo week. As far as i know she hasn't done it before and i've never had someone offer to do that while with me. i realise there could be spotting, but as far as i know spotting is fairly normal (from what i've read on this community) when skipping that week.

So really any information would be GRATEFULLY appricated, i just want to be prepared in case anything does happen/goes a bit wonky. i have asked her about it but she seems to think that as long as you only do it once in a blue moon she'll be ok.

So thank you in advance, and to the mods, keep up the great work. You moderate a wonderful and informative community.

Too small for Instead cups?

( A little oogy )

stupid stupid question but i want to ask it anyway for my own sanity...

ok i bet this is stupid but i'm going to ask it anyway. if i'm not on the pill and my boyfriend and i have sex with a condom and he pulls out, there's no preggers chance, right?

see i know the answer to this. but i feel better hearing it from other people...

EDIT: he actually didn't come at all. it was his second erection in about an hour, which usually takes longer anyway... so maybe my question is more like 'how much semen is in precum'...? stupid girl brain...

Confusion over FC (female condom)

Why are both ends of the female condom open? I am probably wrong in how it works, but for some reason I assume that kind of defeats the purpose of using protection.

Natural Menstrual Regulation

Before, my periods were always fairly regular (my cycle was 30-32 days long). Then, about three months ago, I had a lapse, and took up smoking again. For the last three months (that I have been smoking, and eating poorly) my menstrual cycle has been less than predictable.

A week and a day ago, I began using nicotine patches (14mg), and have not smoked. I have also begun a one hour yoga regimine for four days a week. And, I've again begun to eat healthily (lots of water, veggies, fruit, and the occasional chicken or fish). I'm down to half a cup of coffee a day, and plan to wean myself off completley in the next week.

All of this in preparation to become pregnant this next summer. My husband and I will need to undergo fertility procedures (due to male-factor infertility), and I want to give my body a fighting chance.

I am currently several days late for my menses. Can anyone give me some advice on how to naturally regulate my cycle again? Any teas, herbs, foods, or homeopathic remedies that might help put my cycle back on track? I'm so frustrated.

X-Posted

(no subject)

about two weeks ago my privates started feeling swollen and itching, and they hurt too.
after a couple of days i realised that between the outer and inner labia some sort of cuts had formed, and i couldn't figure what had caused them. i have not had sex for the whole week prior to this, not used tampons or sanitary towels, washed as usual and haven't noticed anything else unusual that i have done that might have caused it.

i wanted to know if anyone has an idea of what can have caused cuts in that area, because i can't get myself of thinking about anything.

Change in Vaginal Odor

I've noticed in the past few days that my vagina has gotten a very strong smell. I'm normally not that pungent, so it's a little worrying. My SO has noticed it too, it's strongest when I get into bed at night and he can smell it then. And it's REALLY strong. Like "Wow I can smell that from over five feet away!" kinda strong. What could be causing this? Is it an infection?

Background info: I'm on OTC-Lo and have been for 4 years. I've never noticed a scent change before this. Also, I just finished my first period with a DivaCup (about 2 weeks ago), and the cup seemed to irritate my vulva. I got really itchy and sore after three days, which continued for about 2 days afterward and went away. I'm not itching or irritated anymore and I'm having no unusual discharge.

However, The first and only time I've had a YI I was diagnosed by my GYN and it was a total surprise. I hadn't had ANY symptoms, I didn't even know I had one until she tested me. I didn't even itch until after I started treating it.

I'm going to the GYN in a month, as my insurance won't cover more than a once-yearly exam. Should I just wait until then?

Thanks!

Reaction to HBC?

Hi, first time posting to this community. =) I was on the pill for about a year with no complications, and I stopped it three years ago. Two weeks ago, I took EC and had a strange reaction. At first, I blamed it on the food I ate because I thought that it was heartburn - it was kind of like a constant chest pain but with a cool burning sensation. It went away after a few days.

On Wednesday of this week, I started NuvaRing for the first time and started having the same strange chest pain the next day. At that point, I realized that it was probably not the food but the HBCs instead. I looked up the normal side effects for both EC and NuvaRing but couldn't find anything that sounded like the reaction I had.

It just seems strange to me because I didn't have this reaction at all when I was on the pill. It also kind of comes and goes...maybe my body's just adjusting?

Any thoughts?

clitoris mystery??

For a while now, I've been trying to locate my clitoris but have had no luck. Many times I looked around with a mirror, but saw nothing, and I try to feel around, but I feel nothing; I really don't feel any sensitivity at all. I've checked out online anatomy diagrams, but they don't really help; I just don't see or feel anything. I feel kind of silly, but this is getting really frustrating and upsetting. I wonder, "Do I even HAVE a clitoris?" Does anyone else have this problem?

Also: I've been noticing, in the folds between my labia, a sorta white creamy stuff. It's different from my discharge, and it smells like of weird (sometimes it smells stronger than usual). I saw a gynecologist for the first time last summer and had an exam (same problem then), but never got a phone call with my results or anything, and she didn't say anything that day either, so can I assume that there's nothing seriously wrong? Does this sound like anything to worry about?

G-spot orgasm/Vibrator penetration safety?

Okay. I've been masturbating since I was about twelve. Until I was eighteen, I just used my hands, but for a few years I've been using various vibrators.

Anyway, I've never had a G-spot orgasm. Now, I've read the memories and stuff here in the community about it, so I know vaguely where the G-spot is supposed to be located. I'd really like to give myself a G-spot orgasm just because I want to see if I'm one of those women who really find them OMGamazing, or if they're just "...eh" for me, you know?

But here's my question. Lately my favourite toy has been a "slimline" type of vibrator (actually, it's this one). I don't use the jelly sleeves (I don't like jelly near my vag, thanks), but I do find the vibrator itself fantastic for penetration. Do you have any input on whether I'd be able to adequately reach my G-spot with this vibrator?

And a second, related question (one that I'm slightly embarrassed to ask, since I've been masturbating for so long): Um...is it okay to use a hard vibrator for penetration? I've never had any trouble (no pain or anything), but I was just wondering, since it doesn't yield at all. I don't want to do any damage to myself on my quest for G-spot paradise! I usually penetrate as far as I can go, until the vibrator meets resistance -- obviously I don't push it any farther once that happens.

Thanks for listening to me babble ;)

Ovulation/Period confusion

Ok, I've just had a conversation with a friend of mine and now I'm thoroughly confused.

She said that if a woman isn't on HBC, she can still get a regular period without ovulating.

I said that this was wrong, and in order for her to get her period she would need to have ovulated.

Interesting discussion ensued, and now I'm confused. I tried googling it and came up with very little information, and most of it seemed to contradict itself/other sources.

Soooooooo... Who's right? I'm pretty sure that I am, but then again, I could be wrong!

am i worried over nothing?

Hello ladies,

I guess I'm just posting for reassurace, but who knows. I'm 19, on birth control (sexually active)and went for my second pap smear ever in my life last week. I'm at school so I go to their health department for it. She said everything went OK and I was to call an 800 number in a few days for my results. I called about an hour ago tonight because I had kept forgetting to earlier in the day, the recorded message said "the results have been forwarded to your doctor" and to call her for information and after care.. I'm worried because last year the message just told me everything was normal.

So my question is... Would my doctor or someone from the health services call me if something was seriously wrong? Would they test to see if I was pregnant or anything of that sort? I'm just overly worried and don't have anyone around to ask at 11 at night and I know people in this community tend to be very helpful.

Thank you all,
Rachel