Cycle length.

[acid-faeries.livejournal.com]

I know the average cycle is 28 days.


My last period started December 6, 07.
I had sex the 7th, and he took the condom off and finished without my knowledge until after the fact.
I had been on Depo-Provera for nine months before, and had finished one week of the Ortho-Evra patch which started my period for the first time all year.

Now it's the seventh and I haven't had another period.
How long is too long for a cycle to go? Should I worry about pregnancy, even thought it's so unlikely?

I'm really confused.

D&C

[mayfair.livejournal.com]

Hello all, I just had a quick question. I was wondering if any of the ladies here have had a D&C performed? There's a small chance I'll need to get this done, but I'd just like to hear about any experiences, etc, just because. Any personal thoughts or anything would be great. Thank you.

(no subject)

[r-nightshade.livejournal.com]

Are there any people here from Carroll County, Maryland who have gone to the Carroll County Health Department for birth control pills? I have a gyno appointment next Monday and I'm supposed to be put on a different brand of birth control pills. I used to be on Ortho Cyclen, but my body really did not like them, then I was able to get on Yaz for two months (but due to lack of money, can no longer afford it) and I really liked it. This are my questions: What kind of birth control did you get? Did you like it? What were the side effects that you experienced? Did it help with acne (this goes for those who have this problem)? How long before you noticed a positive change in your breakouts?

Thank you in advance for your help, it is appreciated.

OCM and lube.

[ldy-shadow.livejournal.com]

For those of you with semi-oily skin using the oil cleansing method but find ev oilive oil too gooey, I highly recommend Grape Seed Oil.

It makes a great silicone like natural lube for sex/dryness, too. (NOT to be used with latex products. It is still an oil.)

YI - Pregnancy & Paranoia

[zombiebunney.livejournal.com]

Hey Everyone,

First off, I wanna thank you guys for being here. This is a great community to go to when you want straight-forward and not dismissive answers.

I'm currently pregnant with my 2nd child, I'm about 20/21 weeks now (my son is 2 years old) and I feel like I have forgotten what it's like to be pregnant.

( Long_But_Grateful_For_Help+Assurance )

leaking with tampons

[stenodork.livejournal.com]

I was going to skip my period this month until I was talking to a friend who said she uses super absorbancy tampons throughout her period and decided I should try super tampons.
Until now, I've only used regular pads, cloth pads, and regular absorbancy tampons.
I find that I have way too much leaking with tampons and hardly ever use them and thought maybe I'd have less/no leaking with a super tampon.
Well, I'm still having leaking. The first one lasted almost 4 hours. I know it says to change them every 4-8 hours or more, but if I'm going to be in the bathroom every 4 hours anyway, and I'm going to stain my clothes or have to wear a pantiliner, I'd rather just use cloth pads.
Even when I have leaking, the whole tampon isn't saturated, just half of it, I think just the back half of it.
Should I try super plus tampons? Is this abnormal? Should I just give up on tampons? I've seriously stained so much underwear, and I'm frustrated.

ETA: The super tampon I'm using today started leaking after 2 hours.

Short period,just started BC

[place-to-hide.livejournal.com]

My period started early morning Saturday. And my OB Doctor wanted me to start on birth control first SUNDAY of the cycle.So I did.I took one last night.

She gave me a starters kit of Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo.

The period seemed have slown down a lot now.It's making me feel like period is almost over. Like it could be over today. Now usually my periods last 5 days. It's pretty much always been like that.

So I kind of wanna know... why the heck it's slowing down on the third day of my period. And if it's normal.

Two Periods in a month

[summerxskye.livejournal.com]

Last month I had two periods in one month. I gotten my first period on December 7th and it did last for 6 days, nothing weird about it, no stomach pains no nothing. On the 23rd of December, I gotten horrible pains and felt like mirgaine headaches, getting my period then again. I'm not taking any type of birth control at this time since last April but I'm going to see my doctor this month about getting some BC. I didn't have any type of intercourse until just recently last week and it was protected sex. Does anyone have any idea why this happened in one month? They were both normal and both last 6 days. I'm freaking out a little bit and not sure if I should take a test or something or why this happened. Thanks!

Irregular/Asymptomatic Periods + Levothyroxine?

[goddessdeath.livejournal.com]

I don't know how rare/common it is to be on Levothyroxine, so I'm not certain if this is a place to post this and perhaps get some feedback, but I figured it can't hurt to try.

I saw an endocrinologist back in October because I've been tested for thyroid hormone levels (TSH, TSH-4 and whatever else) and, at first, she put me on Metformin twice per day. That was fine, but nothing happened as far as any weight loss or anything like she said it probably would help with.

In mid-November, she gave me a prescription for Levothyroxine (which is a synthetic thyroid hormone). Since then, I've noticed that I have NO PMS symptoms whereas I used to have the typical sore breasts, cramps (sometimes for a week or so ahead of time), my ankles would swell, bloating, etc. I was also about two weeks late for my period. It should've arrived just after Thanksgiving, but didn't show up until December 8.

Now, once again, here it is around the time I should be either having a period or experiencing symptoms, but I have neither one. I'm guessing it's going to arrive whenever it feels like it again. I have not had a chance to contact the doctor since she's around different clinics/offices throughout the week and my schedule is full all the time during the day. I do have an appointment in February, when I will mention it, assuming I still have insurance at that point and can go ahead with the appointment (that's a long story.)

Anyway, I was just wondering if anyone else on here is taking a synthetic hormone (like Levothyroxine) and whether it affected their periods.

hypothyroidism affecting my period

[phunkadelik.livejournal.com]

i know that i should be asking a doctor about this, but currently, my doctor's office is being so non-chalant about this all and i have no financial means to see another doctor.

i used to be extremeley regular. i never missed periods, my body would always tell me when its coming (headache, breast tenderness) but all in all...its pretty much dissapeared over the past year. it all started with a period that came 4 months later than it should've. after that, they come in at two month intervals. but now, it's already 4 months late...AGAIN. in this time, i've also realized a disgusting weight gain of about 50 pounds in less than a year. my breasts have also experienced a dramatic increase in size...i went from a full B cup to a full D cup in this short time period. i know i'm not pregnant, i had both an at home pregnancy test and blood test done, along with an ultra sound that showed nothing out of the ordinary. but i've been experiencing extreme nausea on and off throughout the year, followed by heartburn. this normally happens around the time when i'm supposed to be getting my period, and it goes to the extreme where i even feel ovarian cramps as though my period is just about to begin...but it never does. i'm nowhere near as emotional as i was before, if anything i feel as though emotionally, i've become very drained and cold. i'm nowhere near as sexually active as i was before, and my relationship with my boyfriend is beginning to feel the affects of it, though he's very understanding about it all. i think it has a lot to do with the fact that i'm just not getting my period.

i really don't know what to do, what to think, or how to feel about this because i'm really not recieving the medical help that i should. if anybody can help...i'd really appreciate it

thankyou :[

New VP Directory: Health Care Providers & Sterilization

[frolicnaked.livejournal.com]

Hello, vulva-loving superstars!

Inspired by a member suggestion, we've decided to create a directory of health care providers who are "sterilization friendly," in the style of our already-existent waxing and gynecologist directories.

Because folks seeking to become sterilized can encounter significant opposition and resistance, we thought it would be helpful for them to have access to a directory of health care providers who will consider their wishes respectfully, responsibly, and with an open mind. The plan is for this directory to be linked in the permanent procedures section of our Vulvapedia entry on non-hormonal birth control so that it can serve as a lasting and easily findable resource in the community.

So if you (by yourself or in a relationship) have had a positive experience with tubal ligation, Essure, or vasectomy and a health care provider, please share your story in a comment to this post.

For ease of browsing, please put your city (or metro area) and state/province/country in your subject line. This will let folks find local recommendations more quickly.

We'd also appreciate such details as:

1) Name of the individual or clinic.
2) How he/she/it can be contacted: website, phone number, etc.
3) The specific procedure you had: Some people are only interested in specific sterilization procedures, and regardless, it just helps to know.
4) "Bedside Manner:" How did the consultation(s) go? How comfortable -- physically and mentally -- is a visit to this person? Friendly? Professional?
5) How did you present your reasons for wanting to be sterilized? How did your doctor respond?
6) Age at the time of the consultation & procedure: This info can be especially helpful to younger people seeking such docs.

Of course, you don't have to tell us anything you're not comfortable sharing. And if you'd like to tell us something that's not listed above, you're still very welcome to do so. :)

Thanks!
Tori
For the VP Team
contact_vp

**Standard Legal Disclaimer: Having this post on LJ or on our website does not constitute VP's official endorsement of any/all of the establishments listed. As with everything else VP-related, please use this resource responsibly and with your own discretion!

Pain during sex and bleeding

[denialfeelsgood.livejournal.com]

Yesterday my boyfriend and I were having sex and it was hurting in my abdomen, which has never happened before, it went away after a few minutes and things went back to being enjoyable. But later when i went to clean up I had blood coming from my vagina, like fresh red blood, I know it wasnt my period as mine had ended 2 days before. It lasted a couple hours and went away. What was this? (The blood was not on my partners penis at all) It made my boyfriend worry alot.

Choosing a contraceptive when HBC is problematic

[sakit-kepala.livejournal.com]

I posted here a few days ago about sustained cramping following the morning-after pill. Went to get it checked out today. The doctor didn't seem too worried but she said she'll do an STI check if it hasn't gone away after my next period.

She also gave me a mini-lecture about needing another form of contraception other than condoms. I agree, I'm not happy with the idea of just using condoms, but I'm not really sure what is the best option for me. I was on the combined pill for 7 years (Dianette, Cilest, Logynon, Ovranette) before quitting it in May. I have also struggled with depression for years and often wondered if the pill could be responsible. Since I quit, the difference has been incredible - I really hadn't realised what an effect it was having on me, even between bouts of depression. For the first time in many years, I feel calm and sane and I am able to have normal reactions to events in my life. I am actually able to think clearly, I am confident and sociable and rational and all sorts of things I wasn't before. I had forgotten that life could be this easy and enjoyable. Obviously I really don't want to go back to how I was before; it would honestly be barely preferable to getting pregnant. Anyway the doctor says I can't take the combined pill again because I get migraines.

Then she talked about other hormonal options such as the mini pill or the nuvaring. She says that the ring has a much lower dose and shouldn't affect my mood in the same way the pill did. But I hadn't heard this before. Is it actually true? I thought it had the same chance of side effects... She also said that the mini pill might be a good option if I could remember to take it on time. Although I googled it (I know, never a good idea) and found a bunch of horror stories about women whose cycles had been really messed up by it, that doesn't sound too promising. The doctor didn't discuss the possibility of an IUD or Mirena, but as I'm in a new relationship and haven't ever been pregnant, it might be a battle to get either of those.

The truth is that I'm terrified of hormonal contraception. I have lost count of the number of times a doctor said that one pill brand or another would get rid of all my side effects, and it never did. I'm finding it really hard to trust what my doctor says about any of these other methods and I'm so scared of what might happen if she's wrong. I just feel so hopeless right now because there doesn't seem to be a good solution.

Please can anyone offer any advice? I'm sorry for this post being so long but there is nobody else I can talk to about this.

Air in vagina?

[pissclam.livejournal.com]

So I squatted down today and when I got up it felt like there was a bubble of air in my vagina. Really. What the hell. I tried moving around and it feels really weird. What happened? Help me?

When will it go away?

(no subject)

[whatyouarelike.livejournal.com]

I went to the doctors and they tested me for urinary tract infection and yeast infection and I have neither, so they did some other tests that will come back wednesday. But what can I do for my itchy burning girly parts for now? I'd rather have the uti and be able to deal with it instead of being told i have no good reason for this uncomfortableness. help!

ranting

[starfaerie26.livejournal.com]

because you all will understand better than my boyfriend...

after 7 months of wearing my granny panties and a panty liner because of changing BC i finally got up the nerve to start wearing my cute undies again.... minus the liner.

and of course...... i started bleeding today.....

GRRRRR!!!


at least it didn't get to my jeans or through my jeans.

wish i would have bought more at the semi annual sale today.

cervical mucus

[l2stepprogram.livejournal.com]

Hi Ladies! Quick question, last night i checked my cervical mucus and it was stringy and stretchy like eggwhites, I figured I had started ovulating. I checked again today and it's already back to the cloudy, not so sticky mucus. Does the "fertile mucus" only stay around for a short period of time? I'm just curious!

taking pills in wrong order in europe

[pvalov-rings.livejournal.com]

I'm an American living in Denmark. On Thursday I just started on the pill which in Denmark is called Harmonet; it contains ethinylestradiol and gestoden. I was pretty sure it was a monophasic pill--they're all the same color, I was on a monophasic pill before and my doctor said she'd put me on one again--but I've basically confused myself so much I'm not sure what to do and my doctor is on an extended Christmas vacation.

The problem is that on Saturday at 6 p.m., I accidentally took the pill labelled "Wednesday" that was supposed to have been the 21st pill in the pack--the last pill. It was right next to the empty "Thursday" and I just got confused about the direction they were going in. But then at midnight, I looked at my pack again, realized the "Saturday" pill hadn't been taken and assumed I had just thought I had taken the pill but hadn't. So at that time I took the pill I should have taken six hours earlier. Then I realized I'm incredibly stupid and careless and had taken two pills in one day.

It's now Monday at 6:30 and I've taken two pills correctly since then. The pill pack says what to do if you forget a pill but not what to do if you take them in the wrong order and too many. But since they're monophasic, the order shouldn't matter, right? And the day labels are just to help you keep track? What should I do?

PCOS and Hypothyroidism Diagnosis Stuff

[mssarahb.livejournal.com]

Hey everyone~

So, after having irregular or missing periods off and on for years, I finally had blood taken today at my OBGYN to be sent away for testing.  My doc leans toward PCOS or, potentially, hypothyroidism as the culprits.  That's fine.  I'm not gonna get carried away and get over-anxious before I know what (if anything!) is wrong with me.

I know you aren't here to diagnose, but here's the thing: besides the wacky cycle/missing periods, I don't have a single other symptom for PCOS.  Not one.  If I make a stretch, I guess I could fit a few of the bills for hypothyroidism, but only, like, 3.  I'm not overweight, I've never had acne, my blood pressure is low, I don't have issues with my hormone balance and I don't have excess body hair, I eat *extremely* healthfully, and so on and so forth, blah blah blah. 

My question, then, is for those of you who have been diagnosed with either condition.  I'm sure you'd all done your research, so did you find that being diagnosed with PCOS or a hypothyroid made sense for you?  Did the list of symptoms fit you, beyond just missing periods?  Were any of you totally shocked at receiving your diagnosis?  Is there anything else that someone in my position should know?

Thanks :)

Where Can You First Feel Your Orgasm?

[rhetoricians.livejournal.com]

I don't think I've read anything like this here, but not a lot of entries are tagged as of late, so if this has been done before, I apologize.

Where do you feel your orgasms first? Not literally where, but I mean .. when you know you're about to come, can you feel it in one body part first? For me, my feet start to tingle before anything else .. I haven't asked any of my friends about it because it would be a pretty awkward conversation-starter, and you might not know what the hell I'm talking about, but .. if you do, care to answer? Heh.

[Anonymous Post] I'm afraid I may have HIV

[jocelina.livejournal.com]

Hello, VPers. As you're probably aware, 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.

Jocey
For the VP Team
contact_vp

---

I was tested about a month ago for HIV, and according to my PCP, the results were negative. I say "according" because my PCP, for lack of better words, is a pain in the ass. I even called today asking if I may have the blood work script with the results - to actually SEE it and ease my mind a little. Of course, I got forwarded to the secretary who was of no help what-so-ever, and couldn't, or shall I say, WOULD NOT go about doing/requesting such from my doctor - given I provided her with proper information, even.

Needless to say, I am scared shitless right now. I'm what you might call a cyberchondriac. I keep digging, digging, digging throughout the web about HIV symptoms, the physical attributes of those with HIV/AIDS.. And now I'm finding little things about myself which make me think "This, and that, and this - all of them could be signs!!!" I think I've actually brought myself to a point where I really DO believe I have it - even though there's that great significance I actually do not, considering my research.

My worries stem from, basically, having felt like crap for the past several months. Currently, or THIS month rather, my glands have been swollen (though no sore throat), my chest breaks out into a rash every-so-often/get itchy all over the place, and sometimes I feel slightly feverish - which to me, so I've read, could be HIV. Could also be my body fighting against some odd strain of virus, or allergies... Can you tell that I'm driving myself insane?

Last I had unprotected sex with the, ugh!, "junkie" in question was mid-late August. Understood there's a window period, but the "vast" majority will test positive within 25/28(?) days. So I'm wondering if it's safe to say I am, in fact, negative.

Another question: Because my PCP obviously does not care about her patients, and I had to BEG to get the blood work done in the first place, I ordered a home testing kit from Home Access online. If I use that, say, late this month, and it comes back negative, am I THEN, without a doubt, negative?


Again, thank you all so much!!!

Lost a pill. Ways to even out my packs?

[zen-child.livejournal.com]

I'm on Microgynon30, which consists of taking 21 same-dosage pills and then having a pill-free week, and today I dropped a pill and it disappeared into the abyss. So I took tomorrow's pill instead.
So now I'm wondering what to do to even things out. The simple thing would be to just start the next pack on the Wednesday instead of the Thursday like I usually do, but... I'm kind of set in my ways. I don't particularly see the point in taking a pill from a full pack to just even out this one, because then I'll still be left with a pack minus one day (unless I just keep one pack for emergencies, like if I ever lose another pill?)

My last pill of the packet will be on a Tuesday. What might happen if I didn't wait the full week, and started the next pack on the Thursday directly after? Or I could have an eight day break, and just be extra-super-safe or just do no sexings until I'm fully protected again.
Hmm.

I must sound like I have no clue, sorry. Thanks for reading! :)
Much love for VP.

Burning after sex?

[lynzee-nicole.livejournal.com]

So, I've been sexually active since I was 15, and even though I've been on birth control for the past four years, and now an IUD, I've always used condoms.  My boyfriend of four years says he doesn't trust anything he can't see.  :)  I'm trying to convince him otherwise.

Anyway, I always have a mild vaginal burning after sex with a condom, that lasts for about a half an hour.  The very few times we've had sex without one, I don't have the burning.  It's not that painful, mostly just a discomfort.  But it is an annoyance, and I've been wondering if maybe I have some sort of allergy.  I thought perhaps it was a latex allergy, but I have no trouble with latex gloves or anything of the sort.  Could it maybe be the lubricant on the condoms?  We've used other lubes before, and notably once without a condom, and I didn't have the burning.  So I'm a bit stumped.  I don't really know what to make of it.  Honestly, I'd really like to just throw out the condoms now that I have the IUD, but until I can convince my boyfriend that the IUD isn't just a crafty trick to get girls pregnant, I'd like to find out how to avoid the burning.  Any suggestions?  Anyone have a similar experience?

from shower to underpants with no bloody bath towels - what's your strategy?

[plasticpepper.livejournal.com]

Okay, this is just something I'm curious about.

What is your personal routine for showering when you're on your period? I'm thinking especially when it's time to get out of the shower. I'm sure it's easier for those of you who use menstrual cups, and probably also for tampon-users, but until I can manage to insert a tampon without passing out, I'm stuck with pads. The transition from shower to underpants is quite awkward and it's also one of those things that you have to figure out for yourself the first time you do it, so you never know if everyone else has some secret system that you're too slow to figure out. Haha.

Personally, my strategy involves lots of tissues. While I'm drying off I just make sure the towel doesn't get too close to that area and use tissues to keep everything under control so I don't bleed all over the floor. If it's a quite heavy day I bring underpants into the bathroom with me so I only have to dry off enough to get them on. If it's an especially light day I can usually just wander to my bedroom without having to worry about bleeding on anything along the way. If it's sort of heavy and I've forgotten to bring underwear into the bathroom, I have to shove a tissue between my labia just in case so I can get to my bedroom okay. All of this tissue business just seems very awkward and I can't help but wonder if I'm missing something that would make it easier.

So yeah, I'm just curious...what's your routine like?