I know this can happen when starting new birth control, but serisously!

[dancingfaenoir.livejournal.com]

My body is a hater. Lack of ability to self lube. Strange reactions to birth control (brown discharge, not powerfully foul smelling, but strange smelling if you get close enough...which is making sex difficult)--according to the pharmacist at rite aid this is "nothing to worry about." Why body? Why do you want to make me feel less attractive? bleh.

I can't stand the metallic smell of this brown discharge. It looks like I have chocolate in my panties (no, it's not poo), it's the consistancy of a thin mucas sometimes and like blood clots others.


Body, if you could get it together and stop making my sex life so taxing on me, that would be spectacular. Thanks.
Me/you

changing insertion date of the ring/ and Keeper question

[teknoferit.livejournal.com]

Ok, I recently posted about the Nuva ring, and now I have another question which, so far, I haven't found the answer for (and I even read the whole "prescribing information" pdf from the Nuvaring site). Does anyone know if you can change the insertion date of your ring? For example, I used to use the Patch, and during my period week , i.e., the patch-free week, I could theoretically put on the new Patch at any time during that week, and thus change the date on which I had to put on the next patch. Can I do the same with the ring, i.e., if I take it out on a Monday, can I insert it 3 days later on a Friday? Everything I have read says I must have a ring-free 7 days...so does anyone have any info contrary to that?

And now for my second question: Has anyone on here ever experienced Toxic Shock Syndrome when using the Keeper/Divacup/a similar cup-thing for your period?

(no subject)

[kristineybean.livejournal.com]

I seem to be allergic to different brands of lube. does anyone know if they make hypo-allergenic lube?

ontopness..?

[hehadmeathelloo.livejournal.com]

okay so I've wanted to ask this question for AGES.
everyday I say to myself "tonight, I'll ask the VP'ers!" .. and then forget,
turn off my computer, get into bed, and then finally realise I never asked.
so tonight, I got out of bed, turned my computer back on, and here I am :).
it's so silly though hahah, tickles me alot.
my question issssssssss; when you're 'on top', WHAT DO YOU DO?!
bounce like Tigger? ehhhh? you can tell I'm a virgin 8-).

I'd also like to ask *dundundunnnn*, does drinking tons of water really help clear your skin?
how do people manage to drink like ten glasses of water a day? thats insane.
one glass is enough to make me gag.

thanks in advance :)
( feel free to delete ;) ) xo

"Vaginas get loose."

[123berries.livejournal.com]

I'm having a debate with some people I know about the vagina.

They seem to think that vaginas get loose. I, after reading many things here on VP, disagree.

I understand that with age skin looses elasticity, and that probably applies to the vagina. Also, childbirth can do some, not irreversible, damage. I also see that inserting something much larger than a penis into the vagina over time could stretch it out. Otherwise, I've always known that the "loose vagina" thing was a myth made up by people trying to make a girl feel bad and slutty. Sex is a healthy thing that doesn't do damage to our bodies.

If someone could provide some facts and a source to the correct info, I would be very appreciative.

airplanes and vibrators

[interrupted21.livejournal.com]

...that should be a band.


anyways...i'm going to france for 4 months at the end of august. i'm wondering if anyone here has taken their vibe with them overseas? would they confiscate it as a WMD or something, or if i store it in my checked baggage would i still have it when i land in paris?


thanks for the help!

Pubic hair shaving

[privatease.livejournal.com]

Earlier today I shaved all of my pubic hair off [third or fourth time I did this] and I have two questions:

1. I have a small pinkish red bump between my vagina and my leg. It was there before I shaved and has been there for .. a long time. I can't remember. Could it be a mole or something? It's not a pimple for sure. Is there any reason I should be worried?
2. I got tiny little red bumps shortly after shaving. Is there a good way to soothe this quickly?

Thanks in advance.

Does the flu affect vaginal discharge?

[he-is-shy.livejournal.com]

Hello ladies,
I posted a few days ago about being concearned with my unusually thick discharge that had no pain, or itching or foul smell. I got a lot of positive responses telling me it was all normal, which was a HUGE help. Now, I'm curious/concearned again, because there has been a change in my discharge and its a little unnearving, but this also comes with a question; Can having the flu or a bad cold affect your vaginal discharge? I ask this because I have come down with a terrible bout of flu and the day before yesterday I noticed that when I wiped, there was this really thick, very snot-like stuff on the paper. I was alarmed. It was really sticky and elastic, just like snot from your nose. I've had really bad phlegm in my nose and throat with this flu, and I'm wondering if the weird discharge is related to it? Again, I have no pain, or itching and nothing down there smells bad. I just appear to have the same thing that's happening in my nose and throat, in my vagina! 

Thank you ladies.

Giant gash

[takemetobed.livejournal.com]

I really need your help guys. :/

I was having sex with my boyfriend when I stupidly moved to try a new angle and he slipped out - hard. He slammed into bone, and ripped a huge gash in the skin right at the bottom of the inside of my inner labia. I now have a painful open wound down there, and I'm not sure what to do. It bled like a mofo last night but now the bleeding is minimal, but I'm still scared of infection. Is there anything I should do? Any daily ritual to help this? I can't go to a doctor because I don't have health insurance or time within the next week because I work 40 hours 11-7. I;m really scared.. :(

Thank you guys in advance.

diva or moon?

[suriyel676.livejournal.com]

so i had a keeper for 8 years then last year i had my daughter, (before that no kids) so now i need a new cup.  I'm having my first cycle since and I'm using instead this time with some spillage issues, but i need to invest in a permanent cup anyway.  I'd prefer silicone this time to rubber and i'm wondering for those of you who have had both... which is softer, (more flexible/easier to insert and remove) the diva cup or the moon cup?

Cysts + PMS?

[https://users.livejournal.com/--phrenology/]

I noticed a while back that sometimes, a few days before my period started, I would be a little pea-sized lump under the skin of my outer labia. I thought nothing of it because the bump would go away a few days later and it was never painful. Then I stopped getting the random bump before my period when I started taking OTC-lo.

Well, I've been off the pill for a couple months, and I've gotten two bumps before my period since then. The first one was pea-sized, but painful and tender to touch. I went to the doctor and she said it was a cyst. So I went on antibiotics and it went away in about a week. Not really a big deal.

Well, now I have another one and I swear it's the cyst from hell. It's in the same spot on my outer labia, but it's much bigger. A little bigger than a jelly bean. And it hurts so much! It hurts to sit and walk. I was feverish yesterday and very weak. I feel like this cyst is literally draining the life out of me! :(

I'm not questioning whether this is a cyst or not. But I'm wondering if anyone else has heard of regularly getting cysts before your period. What could cause it? I don't want this to happen almost every month. Going back on birth control isn't an option, so what could I do to prevent this? It's so annoying! :(

Thank you to anyone who responds. I'm going to the doctor's in a few hours, so I'll come back with an update.

(no subject)

[smunityy.livejournal.com]

Hola senoritas,
I have a question that is more about my breasts than about my vagina, I hope that it is tolerated here. So over the weekend I have been very sexually active with my boyfriend and we had sex a lot.. Today I just realized that if I squeeze my nipples a little bit of milk comes out! I was wondering what the cause of this would be? My boyfriend sucked on my nipples a lot, could that have trigged milk to be produced? I just ended my period yesterday so my breasts still are a little sensitive. Thanks in advance ladies!!

STD/I testing

[aliaswho.livejournal.com]

I got tested last December at my university's health clinic, for free, and was found to be STI-free. I am 19. A few weeks ago, I decided to get tested again at the same place (I've had four new partners between Dec. and this time and wanted to make sure, I didn't/don't have any symptoms. When I went in December, the nurse/interviewer and doctor made it seem like "I had unprotected sex with three people in a week" wasn't a good enough reason to get tested, but they went ahead and did it anyway (how nice of them), so I thought it should be ok this time.). I called to make an appointment and the fellow on the phone informed me that since I am not taking summer classes, I will be charged $65. I was ok with this and made the appointment. I went in, waited, was weighed, had my height and blood pressure checked, and was told to undress from the waist down, fill out some paperwork, and wait for the doctor. I do all of this, and the doctor comes in. She tells me that since I had been tested within a year, they will not test me now. Because apparently when students "come in whenever they feel like it," the school will go bankrupt if they don't have this once-a-year policy. Even though I was prepared to pay $65....

Why did they not tell me about this on the phone? Why did they weigh me, etc., and not tell me then? Why did they not tell me until I was half-naked and otherwise completely prepared for the test? Are they really allowed to turn you away when you are going to pay them for such a thing? That seems absurd to me. I cannot express how upset I was at the time. The reason I'm asking now is because I am still flabbergasted.

Do any of you know what Planned Parenthood's testing policy is, or how expensive it may be? Or any other places to get tested? This is in or around western Pennsylvania.

Thank you.

First time gyno + STI tests

[insert-emo-sn.livejournal.com]

Hey everybody. I'm 19 years old, and I've never been to the gyno. I'm a little (okay, a LOT) nervous. HELP. I've always felt like someone should AT LEAST buy me dinner before they go poking around down there, so taking the initiative to make this appointment was a huge step for me! I'm going for period issues (for which I hope/intend to be given a script for the NuvaRing), vag issues (I think I've got a recurring yeast issue [LOTS OF ITCHINESS around my whole vulvular area, not neccessarily in my vag though; mostly just on the inside of my labia majora. This started around the same time I started a course of antibiotics - coincidence?], and I am just NOT down with Monistat..... that shit is SO messy!), and I'd like to get tested for STIs as well.

( Cut for a little possibly unnecesary background info. )

So my questions to you are as follows:
1. How do I go about asking to get tested for STIs?
2. What STIs will they automatically test for, or do I have to specify which ones?
3. I'm still under my parents' insurance... how discreet are these tests? How do they show up on bills etc? "Being open" with my mom about the fact that I've been sexually active is really not an option, and I'd like to keep this as much on the DL as possible. Should I just go to a PP clinic instead?

Thanks for your help in advance, ladies (and gents) :)

Overnight menstrual protection

[scarsnsouvenirs.livejournal.com]

I just started reading Cunt (I like it, but it seems like I picked up all of the same wisdom from this community long, long ago!), and a passage says:

"When I'm on my period, I sleep with my Blood Towel between my legs. We all know you're not supposed to wear tampons or sea sponges to bed, but rags and pads always seem to mosh up the 'ol ass" (Muscio 35).

WHO IS THIS COLLECTIVE THAT DECIDED THAT SPONGES AND TAMPONS ARE NOT OK OVERNIGHT? I've been a vagina lovin' superstar for all of my 24 years, and I have never heard this tidbit. It sure seems antiquated to me. Have any of you heard of this warning? What's the reasoning behind it?

Tampons

[devils-sidekick.livejournal.com]

Hi everyone!

I am sorry if this sounds like a stupid question, but here it goes anyway.

I have never used tampons before and I would like to try using them when I get my next period. Does anyone here have any recomandations for what tampon brand/type to use for a first timer?

Any help would be appreciated. Thank you!

AZO products?

[loveofdaisies.livejournal.com]

Have any of you heard of and/or used the AZO to treat a UTI?

I believe I have one- my pee smells really awful and it's sometimes cloudy. I haven't had any pain or frequency in the need to pee, but the two symptoms I mentioned above are associated with UTI so that's what I figure it is.

I can't go to a real doctor right now, due to lack of money, and I tried to go to my school health center, who won't help me because I'm not taking enough credit hours, and the free clinic is booked up for the next few weeks.

so my friend suggested AZO, and I've never heard of it. just thought I'd do some investigation through you girls before I go buy any of it.

thanks in advance!

Caffeine inducing period?

[brooklebee.livejournal.com]

So, yesterday I had a whole lot more caffeine that I usually do (I drink green tea most days, but yesterday I had three cups of coffee and a couple soft drinks), and when I woke up this morning I discovered I had started my period a week early. I have a very regular 28/29 day cycle, and there aren't any other factors I can think of for starting so early (not stressed, not a possible miscarriage, etc.).

I remember hearing somewhere that caffeine is sometimes used to induce periods, but can't remember where. After doing some searching on the vaginapagina website and Google, I haven't found an answer. Does anyone here know if caffeine can induce a period?

Thanks a whole bunch VP!

eiiik help!

[mellanie04.livejournal.com]

I waited a whole week while on my UTI medication
before I did it again & I wasn't on top for more
than a minute and I started hurting again!!
WHY CAN'T I GET RID OF THIS!? :( :X
I'm so, so, so, sick of it. Is it normal for it
to still hurt after a week of being on med-
ication? I have a UTI since early June
(so about a month) with my first
medication I didn't know I was suppose to
not have sex, because I didn't tell my doctor
I was sexually active. (for certain reasons)
so I was doing it while on my medication
& never got rid of the infection... But I'm
with my new medication I did wait for a week
(I know I should have waited longer) but I
only have three days of my medication left
& I was thinking- would three days really
make a difference? -would it? Now what
do I do?! I really am so sick of this UTI. :(
& not being able to enjoy sex anymore...
could it become a permanent thing?

also- when are you most fertile?


Thanks to those who reply to my post. :)

stretch marks

[iguanasdefuego.livejournal.com]

Ladies, I'm a little concerned. I asked in another community how people felt about their stretch marks and the responses made me a little sad. No one liked them, except for me, and most people thought they were ugly or were ashamed of them.

Why do you think that is?

How do you feel about yours?

Urine

[oo-diamondz-oo.livejournal.com]

Hey Ladies- Thanks a lot for your help with my last post (pregnancy tests and things). I feel like my period is coming like, tonight. So i'm not gonna take the test. Phewww...

Quick question.. what are some common (and maybe not so common) reasons for cloudy urine? Mine has been that way recently. I am guessing its maybe cause I started taking different vitamins than I used to, but I'm curious as of other reasons if you know any. Thanks!

HBC & Temperature; Timing of EC

[freakin-lj.livejournal.com]

Two fast questions:

1) How much do you guys worry about your HBC pills and storing temperatures? I mean, I take Yasmin (best at 77 deg, apparently) and I have air conditioning in my house, but I stay over friends' houses a lot and thus spend a lotta time in hot underground city public transportation, with my pills in my overnight bag with me. I know not to leave them, like, in my car on a hot day right near a window, but how much should I--or do you--worry about temperature otherwise?

2) I took EC the other day. First pill was at midnight, second should have been at noon. I spazzed, forgot, and ended up taking it closer to around 1:30PM or 2PM. Am I okay? (I'm pretty sure that you can take it earlier--I've heard the timing is just so you don't get sick--but the guy I was with was nervous and wanted me to wait the full time. Heh, I guess I did, and more.)

Thanks!

switch from the patch to marvelon.

[tipyourwaitress.livejournal.com]

hey ladies.

i've written before regarding my newly discovered endometriosis and ongoing abdominal pain.

i had a laparoscopic procedure about a month ago during which endo was found and subsequently destroyed. however, within a few weeks the abdominal pain i had, which i had thought was a result of the endo, had returned.

i went to my gyno today for my follow up appointment and she explained to me that since the pain returned so quickly it was probably unrelated to the endometriosis and that the cause of my pain is probably not gynecological.

i discussed switching off the ortho evra patch during our visit since i have noticed a change in my breast size over the last few months of being on the patch. basically they wont stop growing and none of my bras or shirts fit. i was previously very comfortable with my size and have since become very self conscious.

she prescribed me several months worth of marvelon, which i had never heard of. i'll be taking it the same way that i did my patch, 3 months on and a week off, to control my anemia as well as my endo. she's also hoping that the change in birth control may have an effect on my abdominal pain, which has increased since my switch to the patch.

i was wondering about the experiences others have had on marvelon as well as way of coping with unexplained abdominal pain.

i'm feeling sort of lost at this point, having felt prior to this morning that the reason for my ongoing pain had been diagnosed and could be dealt with. i now feel like i'm back to square one, i have to go through more testing and meeting more doctors and potentially have more surgery and on top of that i have endometriosis. i'm having some trouble working up the strength to deal with it all. it has been a long day.

thanks in advance.

Question about soreness and natural lubrication

[spoonah.livejournal.com]

I started having sex last January, it was pretty much a once a week thing due to the fact we kind of had to sneak around my parents a bunch. But for the past 2 months or so we've been making love a lot. Or, what I would consider a lot. Is 30 times in a week and a couple of days a lot? Whatever, anyway, it's a lot for me and I love it and everything but the last couple of times it's hurt a bit, especially during the beginning when he first enters me. What do you guys think? Am I just sore or is there something else I need to get checked out?
And also, a couple of times it's been harder for me to get wet before sex, is there something wrong with me or is it just a common thing once you are more used to having sex with your partner?

[Anonymous Post] Normal or should I be worried?

[jocelina.livejournal.com]

Howdy, VPers!

As you probably know, from time to time the VP Team makes posts on behalf of people who wish to remain anonymous or who do not have LJ accounts. This is one such post. Thanks in advance for your helpful comments!

P.S. For more info on anonymous posts, see this link.

For the VP Team
contact_vp

---

Recently, like 2 days after my period ended, it started to become a bit itchy. I kinda brushed it off because I just thought I could take a shower and that'd usually rid of the occasional itch. However, it continued so I decided to take a look and I noticed a small bump area (their size of like pimple, I would say) right before the vaginal entrance and it had a constant itch. I don't remember what my area looked like before the itch, if it's naturally bumpy. I tried looking up to see, and the vaginal opening itself has a "jaggered, bumpy" look. I don't know if the itch is just an irritation, yeast infection, or what. Or if the bumps are a symptom that came with the itch.. I think the itch became less irritable with washing and cleansing but I don't know if I should just wait it out or go to the gync? The last thing I want is something I can't cure.

I, also, tried to search for pictures of other womens' vaginal openings to see if they're just naturally bumpy like the inside They kinda look like their normal but any opinions would be grateful.

Patch

[lala-luvyou.livejournal.com]

I keep forgetting about this because I keep hiding it with my patch but now I remember!

Okay so I'm not that big of a girl and I never had stretch marks before. However, once I started using the patch I got this pink/purple/reddish lines on my butt.
I don't know if it's because I'm gaining weight in my bootay, normal body changes or if the patch is changing it for me? (so I guess that's my first question)
I don't even know if they are stretch marks, it looks like them though.

But yeah on one side they're clumped together where I've placed my patch before (I switch sides) and on the other sides there's a couple lines further away, more on my thigh.
And my other question is, how can I get rid of them or make them stop!? Arg!