Hydrogen Peroxide for YI

[arularia.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure that I still have a chronic yeast infection and it's starting to flare up again. No itching or burning, but plenty of discharge and that oh-so-distinct odor. Originally, I had planned on giving the boric acid treatment a go, but I've had zero luck finding someone who carries it. So my next plan of action is to give hydrogen peroxide a try. Only problem is, I own neither a turkey baster nor a syringe. I have eye droppers, but they're tiny and I don't think they'd be very useful. So my next thought was to maybe soak a tampon in dilute peroxide, insert that, and leave it for the night. Any thoughts on this? Think it'd work? Or would trying it that way just give the peroxide too much time to degrade or not saturate the area enough? Has anyone else tried it this way?

Breast acne

[quillty.livejournal.com]

In the last year or so I've started to get acne on my chest, specifically, the tops of my breasts and my cleavage - the little of it that there is. It's not terrible, but there are usually a few pimples at any given time, and I'd rather they weren't there.

1. Causes? I went up a cup size recently, but I'm not sure how that would lead to acne. I don't think I've been doing anything else differently.

2. Prevention/Treatment? Do I just deal with it the same way as acne on my face? (Namely, a salicylic acid wash.)

Thanks!

Endometriosis/Menstrual Cups...

[starzysky.livejournal.com]

So I was reading about endometriosis in "Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom" last night, and it was saying that one of the leading theories regarding endometriosis is the idea of "retrograde menstruation," where menstural fluid (containing some endometrial cells) travels upward through the fallopian tubes & enters the pelvic cavity.  Then, some of the endometrial cells begin to grow outside the uterus, causing the painful symptoms of endometriosis.  She said that it is likely that all women experience retrograde menstruation at some point in their lives.

(She also said she believes it is actually a congential condition not as much related to retrograde menstruation, but for this discussion let's assume retrograde menstruation can also cause it.)

I remember watching a yoga video & it said, "Women who are menstruating should not attempt inverted poses."  At the time I thought that was complete bullshit, and I kind of still do.  But now I am wondering if it's related to the possibility of inversion causing retrograde menstruation, although I still don't really care. 

And THAT got me wondering - what about menstrual cups?  I've always liked the fact that they do not absorb the fluid & dry out your insides, but they do basically hold all the fluid right there.  What happens to the fluid when you lay down?  Could some of it re-enter the uterus?  What if you did yoga or something while wearing a cup - could tons of fluid suddenly start dripping BACK into your uterus?  I know there is gentle suction on the cup, but still - how powerful is that compared to gravity? 

I have a cup & I am kind of grossed out by it all the sudden.  It just seems so unnatural, to create a reservoir of blood in the vagina as opposed to letting it come out or absorbing it.  Am I being paranoid?  I love(d?) my cup!  Discuss!

pregnancy and tape worms

[scarsxnxstories.livejournal.com]

so this is just a random question that my friends and i were thinking about the other day. it might seem kind of dumb/random, but it's really sparked my curiosity.

what would happen if you were pregnant and contracted a tape worm? would the parasite be passed on to the baby? would it just cause you to eat a huge amount more in order to feed you, the baby and the tapeworm? how would they treat it? (one friend is convinced that, since medicine might be harsh, they would either pull it out of your bum or tempt it up through your mouth using moldy cheese like they did in the old days. i'm hoping that's not the case)

weird question of the day award
:|

Oral STIs

[mnbvcxz12345.livejournal.com]

I have made a bad decision and I'm terrified. I was recently at a party and decided it would be a great idea to engage in sexual contact with two of the guys there.

I know we did not have intercourse, because no condoms were available. However, I did end up giving oral sex to each guy. One orgasmed in my mouth, the other on my body. This was unprotected.

This happened out of town. I know nothing about these guys except that I will never see them again.

So now that I'm thinking clearly about this matter I realize what a completely stupid situation I put myself in. I know there is nothing I can do now, except get myself tested. But I also know that I can't even go in for testing for at least 3 months, right?

In the mean time, what do I do except sit here and worry? What sort of symptoms do I need to look for? High School health class was severely lacking: I wasn't even aware that you could contract any sort of STI through oral sex until my 2nd year of college. And everything I've found on the internet states that you can contract STIs though oral, anal or vaginal sex, but then list the symptoms as  anal or vaginal specific.  Or maybe thats correct and I'm severely under-informed. But I guess I don't understand how mouth to genital contact (my mouth, his genitals) could result in my having vaginal symptoms,  such as genital warts. Wouldn't those instead show up in the area of transmission?

I've also read some things that say there is a spectrum of infection risk. That oral sex is still a risk, obviously, but less so than unprotected sex. How honest is that? Of course, this report was AIDs specific, so I have no idea if it would apply to other STIs.

I'm rambling now. I'm just looking for some advice or wisdom here.

No pubic hair, no crabs?

[speckled-hen.livejournal.com]

I was just shaving everything off down there as a nice surprise for my men and I had a random thought pop into my head.

If you have no pubic hair, can you still get pubic lice (crabs)?

I know, it's a very random thing to think when you're showering, but hey, if anyone knows it'll be you lot! I text a friend and she didn't know either.

HIV prevention

[astaciamorrigen.livejournal.com]

I just found an article about a post HIV exposure treatment at motherjones.com. According to the article the treatment is given as soon as possible after exposure to HIV and works to stop the virus from actually spreading in the body. It is mostly reserved for healthcare professionals who are exposed to HIV in medical accidents. I find it fascinating that there is a treatment available to help prevent HIV from taking hold if a person has been exposed, yet it is not made readily available to the general public in all areas.

I'm wondering what kind of protest/mass action could be done to influence the availability of this treatment. Ideas?

yeastie beasties... on my boobs?

[babity.livejournal.com]

So, I'm one of the lucky people who has, *knocks on wood*, never had a yeast infection. But, I think I have one now... In my cleavage! My boobs are big, and are always smooshed together, so I think the heat and lack of air have combined to make them a great breeding ground for what I am assuming is a yeast infection. My cleavage is itchy, and little white spots that I have to scrub off through out the day have been appearing for a couple days now. And it smells like I'm baking bread in my shirt if I go more then a couple hours.

Is it even possible to get a yeast infection in my cleavage? How would I treat this?

I am going to call a doctor tomorrow, but the same day appointment clinic is only open in the evening, and I work nights, so it would be a few days until I could get an appointment and go in, I would love to have this resolved before then!

Thank you, and sorry this is a little off topic!

Hightened Sex Drive

[dirteelilsecret.livejournal.com]

I never noticed this until my fiance mentioned something about it last week. He mentioned that I'm usually more "in the mood" right before and during my period. I don't really understand why. Could anyone give me some insight on this?
( And this might by a little TMI )

Having Sex With A Heavy Partner...

[real-bethy.livejournal.com]

My question involves discussion of weight, so I am going to put it behind a cut in case somebody might find it triggering.

( Big, Big Love )

Being very picky with the calender method: likely to work?

[sapote3.livejournal.com]

So are there days that are pretty much foolproof, or am I doomed to a rather fertile form of failure? ( Cut for details, including mention of mucus )

In Need of Some Major Help

[his-lady-amelie.livejournal.com]

Hi,

I'm hoping some of the more experienced, fearless members of this community (everyone but me!) can help me out. Since January, I've been having these pelvic, back, vaginal, and sometimes leg pains. Recently my periods have become extremely painful, as well. I won't spend too long describing these pains because I know it could be any number of things and it requires a doctor''s visit. The thing is, I've visited the doctor--twice. I went to two separate free health clinics during the last two months, and I've been unable to go through the necessary exams. I'm ashamed to say this because, honestly, I usually "suck it up" when it comes to pain; I only go to the doctor when I'm in real pain, and I let the doctor do whatever s/he needs to do. But, for whatever reason, I just cannot get through the pelvic exam. I cringe when the doctor comes anywhere near my vagina.
You should probably know that I'm a virgin, and, by that I mean that I've never had any type of sex, and I've never either fingered myself or been fingered; I've never even used a tampon. I don't have anything against sex; I'm not waiting for marriage and I'm not afraid. I've just never felt so inclined as of yet. And I've never stuck anything inside myself on my own because, truthfully, I probably am a bit afraid of sticking something inside my vagina. My periods have always been irregular, and I suppose I'd just as soon use a pad than stick a tampon inside when I don't necessarily have to. I probably sound very sheltered, and, as a side note, I must say that I'm not--my vagina is...I'll be the first to admit that.
When I went to the doctor(s) I told them that nothing had ever been inserted into my vagina, so I was going to probably have some trouble with the exam. At each clinic, right before the doctor did anything, she told me that it wouldn't hurt, but it might be a bit discomfortable. Well, maybe it's all in my head, but it seemed to be painful. The first time I tried to have the exam done, the doctor got the speculum maybe 1/4th of the way inside, and I just had to ask her to stop. At that point, my buttocks and thighs weren't relaxed enough for her to effecitvely do her job anyway. She was very understanding, especially given my virginity (in the most literal sense of the term!).
   Nevertheless, I was embarassed. During that first visit I did manage to swab myself with a cotton swab that I partially inserted inside myself as per her instructions, and we did discover that I had a bacterial infection, for which I took medication. However, even after the medication (and supposedly the infection) were gone, I was still experiencing the pains. and in the last two weeks, they've gotten much worse. It used to be a dull ache; now it's a dull ache in my pelvic area and pains that seem to shoot down my left leg. So on Friday, I went to another clinic, waited two hours to see the doctor, and didn't even get the speculum as far in as the first time. This time, it was the doctor who decided to stop because she could tell that I was especially uncomfortable and she was very concerned that she would traumatize me and that I would never come back for another exam, which I guess happens a lot, according to her. She ended up putting me on Loestrin to help with the painful periods.
But my pains seem to only be getting worse (not the period pains...just the regular, daily ones). I have an appt. at PP on Tuesday, and I know I actually need to go through with the exam; it's not something I can just put off and say I'll go when I get sexually active, etc; I need to go to figure out what's wrong with me. I need any help anyone can offer....what can I do to get through this exam? I know I sound like such a wimp, but there's just something about my vagina. I've read basically every article/webpage on the net about "Your First Pelvic Exam," etc. and I followed the link on the left of this page to the website about the exam, but none of this information seems to help. They all say that it may be uncomfortable (which I can handle), but that it shouldn't hurt (which it does), and some of them provide diagrams of the speculum and the swabs inserted in the vagina, which only make me cringe more. I'm so embarassed and really at a loss; I've been through a lot worse, and I should be able to handle this, but I just don't think i can physically make myself relax once she starts to insert the speculum, and it's basically impossible to do the exam with my body resisting against it. Please, if anyone can help at all, I would appreciate it more than you know. Has anyone every been in my situation, or am I just a complete loss? Also, if anyone has any insigts on the pain I've been experiencing, I would appreciate that as well. Thoughts of cancer and PCOS keep popping into my head, and I'd like to maybe allay some of my fears until the next doctor visit or until I find out results or whatever. I apologize for the lengthy post, and I know many (if any) will read it, but if you do and you can help, thank you so much. I'm just so worried; my PP appt. is Tuesday and I just can't keep wasting the doctors' and my time, and I can't let this undiagnosed pain keep getting worse.

breakthrough bleeding

[leedlekay.livejournal.com]

Hi, I have a question about breakthrough bleeding with Depo. With my first shot, I had 5 straight weeks of bleeding. I had my second shot at the beginning of April and a week ago yesterday, I started bleeding. I'm still bleeding and I'm wondering if there's anything Planned Parenthood can give me to stop the bleeding. It's quite uncomfortable and annoying and I really would not like to have another 5 week period. Is it likely that I'll have to endure that again?
FYI, my next shot should be on the 27th. I know that once they gave me my second shot, the bleeding stopped. So could I possibly go in earlier than that so it will stop? What are my options? Thank in advance :)

feelin' "clucky"

[pyraterose.livejournal.com]

I'm about to be nineteen and just recently started feeling what I've seen described on here as "clucky". I ovulated about two weeks ago, and around that time, everytime I saw a baby I just melted. I know I'm in no way, shape or form about to have a baby, obviously, but I just think it was weird because up until about a month ago, I was certain that I never wanted a baby at all. Ever.

So I guess my question is about what age did you start feeling that "OMGBABY!" feeling? I know that it was just my body telling me what it was doing, so to speak, but I was wondering what the average age was for people to start getting that feeling.

Thanks ladies ^_^

help?

[opaloctober.livejournal.com]

has anyone been on both quasense and alesse before? I've been taking quasense for the past 2 1/2 years, and i recently went to my ob/gyn and she wrote me a new prescription for new b/c, and we talked about me going on Lybrel. She wrote me a new prescription, and now my pharmacy has told me that i've been given alesse. I was expecting her to give me more quasense since that's what she said she was giving. At first I was told that alesse was another generic name for Quasense, but I did research online (as I usually do with new meds i'm given) and i'm under the impression that Alesse is a generic name for Lybrel?
My first question is is lybrel and alesse the same? or is alesse another name for quasense? I'd like to know what i've been given. I won't know exactly what ive been given until i pick it up from the pharmacy tomorrow...

Anonymous Post: STD Testing -- Lots of Questions

[frolicnaked.livejournal.com]

Hi! 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.

Thanks,
Tori
For the VP Team
contact_vp

________________________________

What stds can they test for without a pap smear? I might be on my period when I go
in...
If a doctors office doesn't test for every std, what do I do if I have nowhere else
to go? Just bring a list of other std tests I want?
I had sex maybe 5 weeks ago unprotected orally and vaginally with someone that might
have stds..what stds will show up this early? Which ones won't show up this early?
Is it true HIV rarely shows up at random 6 months from exposure? 3 months you'd most
likely be safe?
What do they test for in a pap smear?
What questions would they ask?


Any informative links would be appreciated.