"bump"/swollen lymph node and moms who won't take you to the gyno

[praeclarus.livejournal.com]

a week or two ago i found what i thought was a pretty "large"(5mmx10mm) ingrown hair on my left side of my pubic bone, right before the groin. i thought it was nothing, until one day it "exploded" and a clear liquid came out. my boyfriend tried to calm me and told me it was probably an ingrown hair, but i did more research and discovered that since it's hard, bean-shaped, fixed to the skin, it's a swollen/enlarged inguinal lymph node.

i did even more research and found that this could be indicative of vulvar cancer, or a malignant tumor in general. do any of you know anything about swollen lymph nodes and their implications? periodically, it will secrete the same clear fluid which i'm assuming is lymph.

also, i'm on of those girls whose mother's don't believe in taking me to the gynecologist. i'm sexually active (have been for 1 year), but she doesn't know that.. i'm 20 already, though. i know some of you will say simply to see a doctor, but i'm working on it (anyone have any tips to convince my mom stealthily that i need to go to the gyno? should i just mention the bump? that is, if the bump could have been caused by something not sexual?) mostly i'm afraid that something will be wrong with me that was caused by me having sex, i'll be put on medication and then she'll find out i'm having sex. that would be bad.

thanks in advance.

question about gyn visits

[glortw.livejournal.com]

Hello everyone.
I've written here about my various gynecological problems before, and appreciate everyone's input. Here is my current situation.
Since like..September, I stopped having periods. Totally. I have a really big problem/phobia with getting an exam, so I made appointments, but just canceled them or never showed up.
However, when I had the opposite problem last year (my period would not stop, for literally months), at Planned Parenthood at least, they didn't require me to have an exam, due to all the blood. They just prescribed me birth control based on what I told them. My question is, do you think this is the policy at most gyns? Cos I think it'd be pretty messy otherwise.
(My period suddenly returned and I fear it's going to stay for a long time..so I'd like to get back on birth control, and ideally do so without an exam.)

Please no lectures, I know it's important to get checked out. But for the time being, I want to just take care of my menstrual craziness. I know I need to get my stuff physically looked at at some point.

Thanks.

white discharge

[dorkymanduh.livejournal.com]

I'm kind of concerned. 

Background: Recently stopped taking the pill (Yasmin). I was on it for about 2 years and I just had my period May 2nd when I stopped taking the pill mid-pack (I know! not a good idea). I've had sex several times since I've been off, only one time with a condom. Anyway, for about 2 days now, today being the second day.. I've been having thick white discharge. I've had yeast infections before and this isn't like that. It's thick but not cottage cheese. It doesn't itch or hurt, no pain what-so-ever. No redness. There's a slight smell to it, but nothing extremely foul and I usually can't even smell it. What could be causing this? Is it because I just got off of the pill? I'm not even close to start my period yet (May 30ish) so what could be causing this? I don't think I'm pregnant because when I had sex it was all before I was "due to ovulate" although I know I could possibly ovulate at anytime because I stopped the pill a week before my period was due and I actually missed quite a few during the month (I think out of the whole pack I missed two the first week, one the second week, and five the third week. I know how wrong that is but I began to dispise the pill because I recently figured out it's what absolutely killed my sex drive and was giving me extreme mood swings. Alright, I'm ranting now. What could cause this discharge?!

Thank you!!

instead cups question/ nonhormonal birthcontrol practice

[polymexina.livejournal.com]

hi everyone!

i hope you're all having a great morning. :)

i have 2 questions.

1. i got the instead cup in and as far as i can tell i'm not leaking. buuuut i know you're supposed to be able to have sex with them in. maybe mine's not in far enough, but there doesn't seem to be enough room... plus, i'm worried about the plastic bit breaking... so i guess what i'm wondering is, where does the cup in your vag go when there's something else jockeying for space? i'm having visions of my cup and a dick duking it out highlander style.


2. i got the cups yesterday! i wanted to practice inserting something cuplike into myself because i REALLY want a diaphragm. i was wondering if any of you could speak to instances of UTIs with them? i've never had a uti, and i'm wondering if maybe if i don't use it with spermicide (i'm allergic to it anyways) if that would impact the likelihood of a UTI/BV/yeast infection. i just want a backup method to condoms. i can't use the pill (long medical history there) and the only-condom sex freaks me out. i know i'm not a perfect user all the time -- i ALWAYS them when i have sex, but i worry about the mistakes i might not know/notice i'm making.


**i'm also debating between that, a cervical cap, or lea's shield. i know they're not as effective as an iud, but the metal in my uterus thing squicks me out a lot... i'm one of those people who's got 3 piercings in each ear, a navel ring, etc, but can't actually sleep with that much metal touching her. it's a weird mental thing.

** i was also wondering where that chart is that shows how effective multiple kind of BC are when they overlap... like if i used a diaphragm w/out spermicide with a condom, how effective would that be?

** and last... maybe this one's dumb... if a diaphragm is blocking the semen from going UP, how will my wonderful lady juices come DOWN? :confused face:

Rash Under breast

[the-amputation.livejournal.com]

I got out og the shower just now, and ws drying myself and found a very painful rash (i think? its large and red and a bit inflamed) under one of my breasts! WHat can i do to make this go away or make it less painful until it does!

Jane Magazine's "Jane Guide to Breast Health"

[silver10m.livejournal.com]

I just found this like to Jane magazine's website. I was surprised to see something very similar to the Everyday Bodies project that we have here. The instructions tell posters to make a statement about why they love their breasts. Here is the link: http://www.janemag.com/yournews/blogs/guest/breast_health_guide/index.html

somewhat of a typical tampon question...

[udntknomeson.livejournal.com]

sorry =/. but i'm kind of a big worrier...and i just wanna make sure. i just started using tampons about a week ago. i wanted to see what they are like, since i've been using pads so long. ok, so, yesterday and today i've had this really bad pain in my lower abdomen. most of the times it's because of cramps or because i ate/drank too much..but this time it was a little bit more intense. i'm almost certain that i've taken them out everytime before i put another one in because like i said i'm a big worrier and i wouldn't want anything bad to happen..but i started getting a little concerned. is this a sign of it being stuck? i looked up tips on possible ways of telling if it was, and i checked but didn't really feel anything. i'm a virgin too...could this have anything to do with the pains? since i'm not used to it? & i know if its in properly you're not supposed to feel anything, and i didn't, but after a while [two hrs or so] i would get these sudden kinds of sharp pains down there..on the first day, like. [i use the regular absorbency ones] but it went away after a little while [this and the abdomanal pain are different, btw]. well, anywho..thanks every one =]

herbal birth control and infertility

[eatmyveggies.livejournal.com]

anyone had luck with using herbs or herbal supplements as a form of birth control?

i just got the depo provera shot a few months ago, which i seriously regret.  i was in the process of trying to lose weight which was going smoothly, but post-shot i gained the weight all back plus more.  i've also felt pretty lackluster and unambitious, and my sex drive is totally DEAD.  i can't even orgasm.  so basically, i would never get the shot again and i'd like to find birth control options that wouldn't affect me so much hormonally.

also, i'm interested in sterilization.  i don't want to have kids, but i'm not sure that a doctor would perform an infertility procedure on a single, childless woman under 25.  any experience with that?