2008-09-14

Withdrawal bleeding question

I'm sure this has been asked before..if so I apologise..but okay. I have been stacking my Lo Ovral. I probably haven't taken the placebos for at least a month, probably two. I thought my body accepted it, I hadn't had any bleeding or anything..but today after I had sex, I found some blood :(. Is there anything at all I can do to stop this? How long do you think it will continue to bleed? Until I give in and take the placebos? If so, do you think I could just take the placebos for like 3 or 4 days, and then start the hormones again, or is that not enough? Thanks. You guys are great.

continuing with the toys theme

Really, just a plea for reassurance.

I bought a toy while on vacation. It's wrapped up and buried in clothes in my bag.
I know we've all heard the horror stories about them going off with all the agitation checked luggage faces.
Someone please tell me this doesn't actually happen? I mean, people travel with vibrators all the time and they don't go off, right? No security issues at all?

Any horror stories? Any success stories?

Edit: Made it home without incident. Thanks folks!

post hysto-exam questions

This is one of those "is this normal?" posts.

I just had a full hysto over two weeks ago. (I'm FTM. Don't know if it matters or not but thought I'd throw it out there, just in case.)

It was all laproscopic, robot-assisted, and all that fancy stuff. After the surgery, the doc told me there might be a little bleeding, and not to worry about it. I bled for like, maybe a day, and that was about it.

So it's two weeks later and I have my check up. She takes a speculum (metal, not sure if it matters.) to check, and says that everything looks fine, and that I am suspended nicely.

This was this past thursday. It's now sunday, and I'm still bleeding from the exam. Way more than any bleeding I did after the surgery. To the point where after a while, I'll leak through my underpants. I know you aren't supposed to put anything up there for a few weeks, so I assumed it would be a little irritated after the follow up, but is this normal? I also notice sometimes there are um.. pieces.. of something (small) that come out when I pee.

Did anyone who has had a full hysto have this after their follow up exam? Should I call the doctor? I was thinking on waiting until monday to call, but this doesn't really seem to be letting up or getting better, and the bleeding has now started to make me chafe a little bit in my crotch.

Anyway, any help would be greatly appreciated.

EDIT: Just talked with my gyno, and she said that wasn't normal, so she's going to take a look at it tomorrow. I'll update everyone, if there's interest, I suppose.

How do you store your toys?

Hi everyone : )

In looking to purchase my second sex toy, I realized that I really have no good way to store them discreetly. The toy that I currently own is small, so it's easy to hide. The one I'm going to get is bigger (though not "huge") so I want to find a cute, discreet way to store them. I looked around at many sex toy sites, and found lots of options. I do have a few questions though. This site offers a little satin bag, that's cheap, and they claim that it's not safe to house multiple toys in the same package, which is why they sell the bag as a toy separation product. Is that really necessary?

Basically, I want to know if it's really not a good thing to house both of my toys in the same bag.
Also, has anyone ordered from that site before? Was it good, bad, or what?
Last question, how do you house your toys?

EDIT: The verdict seems to be that yes, it's a good idea to store toys separately. I'm still interested in how you all store yours. I also found some cute cosmetic bag type things on The Container Store's website, all very inexpensive. Check out the Travel section. I ended up ordering something from there, what's advertised as a Train Box. It has a few different compartments, so I think it will work out well. Thank you everyone for your help.

IUD question

So I'm pretty new here and I was looking back at some entries and I noticed that in one of them someone mentioned buying an IUD from a Canadian pharmacy and having a doctor insert it here. I'm very interested in that and am wondering if anyone has actually done it. I'm 20 years old and have no kids and have been with my bf for 4 years. The flexi t IUD sounds good for that. I can't take BC with estrogen b/c last time I was on it my blood pressure went up, so now I'm taking the mini pill. I ask because I go to planned parenthood and they wanted to charge me $600 for it and the actual IUD is less than $100 online. Thanks!

OO I forgot to ask if anyone knows of a legit online Canadian pharmacy. I was gonna try this one if the dr says yes.

painful/difficult intercourse in the beginning + a million questions.

I lost my virginity about three weeks, but we are definitely having some on-going problems. I have about a million questions :) I am hoping someone here has advice or can shed some light on what may be going on.

For those of you who experienced pain the first time (or first few times) you had sex, what KIND of pain was it? It is still hurting for me. The pain I feel is a stinging pain, which is not what I expected. I am starting to think it is not the sex that hurts, but maybe I am just sensitive to the lube. We are using just a regular KY Jelly lube. Is there a kind made for people with more sensitive skin, or am I just out of luck? We haven't been able to get him in without lube, so I don't really know what to do!

Other problems are that he can only fit a little less than half of his penis in. After that he says he can't push any farther and it is WAY uncomfortable. Do you think he could be hitting the back of my vagina? I know that an unaroused a vaginal canal is much shorter. But it is very hard for me to stay turned on once he is actually in me. I don't know what to do about that! We have done TONS of foreplay and lube--usually I orgasm before we even attempt intercourse, but sometimes I try to hold it off. Neither way seems to improve anything. Once he is in me, I just feel awkward and the desire wears off. Does the woman really need to stay fully aroused for him to be able to get deeply inside? If he is hitting my cervix, would he know it without a doubt? I keep asking him if he is hitting anything and he says he doesn't know (we are both very inexperienced). He is wearing a condom, so I don't know if that affects how much he can really feel in there.

If he isn't hitting my cervix, then I maybe I am just too tensed up, which is a valid option, because I just can't seem to get myself to FULLY FULLY relax. It is just too awkward. Plus, the further he gets in, the more it stings.

I am also concerned that maybe all this is because my hymen hasn't broken yet. Is that a possibility? Could it be stretching enough to allow him part of the way in, but then it can't stretch any further and it is refusing to break? I tried to use a mirror to see if I could see a hymen, but I wasn't really sure what I was looking for. I haven't bled yet at all, but I was hoping that was just because we moved so slowly and gently.

My last question is about positions. We have tried him on top, and me on top. Me on top has not worked AT ALL. I use one hand to prop myself up, one hand to open my vaginal lips, and he tries to guide his penis in. We haven't been able to get him in at all that way. Plus I feel about 50 times more awkward! When HE is on top the only way that has worked is him practically sitting up, and me pushing my abdomen up to meet him. However, I don't think this position encourages loose muscles on my end. But nothing else works AT ALL. Suggestions?

I just feel so clueless! I am so incredibly lucky to have to my boyfriend. He has been unbelievably patient and gentle throughout all of this. Afterwards, he is always smiling from ear to ear, no matter how awkward or difficult it was, saying he is just happy that he has been inside of me. I want things work out the way it seems to for everyone else, where he can just glide right in smoothly, and everything is perfect.

Early and Longer Period?

So, usually my period comes about the 18th of each month and lasts about 3-5 days, but this month it came on the 7th at it lasted for about a week...Now I know the length isn't too bad or outrageous but I'm just curious as to why it came early...

Though I recently started fencing about a month ago, and I go for about 2 hours, twice a week (4 hours total, plus about an hour during the week I practice by myself), and let me just say now that fencing TEARS your legs to hell, well basically just your lower body....so I thought this might be the reason why it came early and was longer...

Is that possible? Can exercise affect your period like this? Thanks for all the help!

Can't Stop Bleeding

Grr LJ apparently hates me. Sorry for the long and rambly post.

So my boyfriend and I had sex exactly a week ago - he came down to visit me at college. A few days before I had been spotting and that had managed to clear up in time for fun sexytimes :)

Since then I've been bleeding off and on - not spotting bleeding. Two days bleeding, 1 day not bleeding etc. I was having phone sex with my boy the other day and when I woke up the next morning my panties had dried brownish blood stains on them - throughout the day I started to bleed and have been breeding heavily the last day or so.

Some background:

I used to be on Seasonique - the 3 month generic of Seasonale. It worked great - until I got massive breakthrough bleeding which lasted for nearly 3 weeks ended up with me in the emergency room and on depo to stop it.

Then my body went into some kind of shock where I didn't have a period for almost 4 months - April - August.

Went back on Depo to restart my period (had not been with my Boy due to LDR over the summer so was not sexually active during this time).

Then was given Loestrin to try as my new BC. Been on it almost 7 weeks now.

I'm damn religious with it - can't miss my time by 15 minutes or else I spot etc.

But yes, the bleeding which hasn't ceased is really starting to piss me off.

Some thoughts as to why:

1. Got my period early - kind of a revenge for me stopping the spotting. That and being in an all girls dorm could have thrown off my cycle.

2. Me not being with my boy all summer - something could have torn when we had sex and me fingering and still playing with myself could have aggravated it.

3. My Body is still messed up over what happened in April

But really I don't know :( Going to head to Health Services on Campus in a day or two if it doesn't cease.

Thanks for any thoughts or advice!

Possible YI?

Hey guys, hope you can help!

I recently was on antibiotics (amoxicillin) for an ear infection, and I had a very heavy dose and took them for 10 days, three times a day. I developed an itchy red "rash" in my pubic hair region and at the very top of my thigh where it connects to the groin. It's like lots of red spots I suppose, but they are dry and there has been no puss or anything, they've not been like pimples, they just itch. Does this sound like a yeast infection?

Thanks in advance.

Current Music: Turn Off The Light

Antibiotics and HBC

I was on an antibiotic (Augmentin) for all of about... 3 days. I know, I know-- I should continue taking the antibiotics my doctor gives me even if I start feeling better, but I digress! Life happened.

Anyway, my last antibiotic pill was Friday, and it was during my placebo week of HBC (if that matters). The Boy is coming to visit me this coming weekend... is a week a long enough time period to be safe, or should I use backup in case my HBC's effectiveness is still compromised?

Thanks!

HBC, period regulation, IUDs (oh my)

Several months ago, I stopped having periods for about three months and then had sporadic spotting. I went to my gyno, explained what was up, and she did some testing for PCOS. I was negative, so she put my on birth control so I would have regular periods again, and I thought, regular ovulation.

However, now reading and becoming more educated about what HBC actually does, women don't ovulate while on HBC. So, why do doctors prescribe it to "regulate" periods? Is it solely so women have a signal if they become pregnant?

Since this really isn't doing me any favors (or so it seems) and because I have a partner again (I didn't when this all started), I want to look into getting an IUD. I'm 20, never had kids or been pregnant, and I'm in a long term relationship. Am I eligible for paraguard? Is there any reason why I should ask for Mirena, the hormonal IUD, instead?

I like to psyche (freak?) myself out sometimes.

This is kind of similar to what I posted a few days ago, but also different, so hear me out! So, I had an STD/HIV test at the end of May and was negative for all of the above. I recently came down with a cold... and not one that really knocked me off my feet, but made me feel lousy (for the last 2-3 days). I only get sick maybe 2-3 times a year, and maybe ONCE in a blue moon that makes me wanna lay in bed and do nothing. But every time I get sick, I immediately think, "What if my immune system has been knocked by HIV?!" I've only been with one person since I was tested and it was ALWAYS with a condom (he was really safe with that; in fact, in my 4+ years of having sex, I've NEVER had sex without a condom, ever.), he only went down on me a few times, and he never came in my mouth whenever I went down on him. He, I believe, was STI-free (sorry ladies!), so what are my chances of this being what I freak myself out that it is and what are the chances that it's a cold?

Also - how easily is HIV transmitted through oral sex? Thanks!

Question 2: I asked earlier this week, or last week, about the chances of catching HSV-1 from a guy who's been diagnosed but has never had a breakout (http://community.livejournal.com/vaginapagina/14045415.html) and I kissed him earlier this week and noticed I already had a canker sore (maybe a cold sore from my quickly approaching cold?) developing, and now that my cold is pretty much in full-force, it's still here. Should I be worries? And what are the differences between cold sores and canker sores? (if there are any!)

PCOS

Hi, I'm just throwing this out here, because I'd like to meet and be able to talk to others with my "syndrome." So I was wondering if anybody on here has Polycystic Ovary Syndrome?

I learned a few years ago that I have it, but have only recently been learning about it, because quite frankly, my doctor didn't do squat to educate me about it and the risks involved. I've only ever had two periods naturally, and they were a couple years apart, when I was in middle school and high school. So right now I'm experimenting with different supplements that supposedly help your body get around to having periods again. I was on the pill for a few years, but that didn't solve the problem, just took care of one of the symptoms. I've since been working out like a mad woman, because losing the weight that snuck up on me at puberty could help my body get back in the swing of things.

But anyway, long story short, I'd love to know if anybody else has it and what has/hasn't worked for you as far as treatments, supplements you'd recommend, books (I'm currently reading "The Patient's Guide to PCOS -- it's very good), and so forth. Eventually I'd love to get pregnant (naturally), so I'm really trying to get this under control.

Thanks for reading. Cheers!

Entry tags:

news-posts

VagPag Monthly News Update: August 2008

Hi all!

Welcome to another edition of our monthly news roundup. Throughout the month of August, we kept an eye out for the most interesting and relevant developments related to vagina, sexual, and reproductive health, and now we're bringing them to you. (Yes, yes. It took us long enough!) ;)

If anything in here sparks a question or a thought, feel free to drop us a comment or nine. We'd love to hear what you have to say about these stories!

Tori
For the VP Team
contact_vp
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Ovarian Cancer Test Raises Hope & Concern

A new blood test has been developed that some researchers hope will help detect ovarian cancer in its earliest stages. The test, called OvaSure, was developed at Yale University and is being offered in the United States by LabCorp, one of the nation's largest clinical laboratory companies. ( Read more... )

More Women are Having Fewer Children, If at All

A recent report from the U.S. Census Bureau indicates that fewer American women are having children, and those that do are having fewer children that previous generations. According to Fertility of American Women: 2006, 20% of women age 40 to 44 have no children, compared to 10% in 1976. Women in this age group who do have children have an average of 1.9, more than one less child per woman than in 1976. ( Read more... )

Yoga Soothes Worst Symptoms of Menopause

A hormone-free alternative to managing hot flashes, night sweats, and sleep disturbances associated with menopause? According to researchers at the Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana in Bangalore, India, yoga may be one such option. ( Read more... )

Unconsummated Marriages More Common than You Might Think

With the excitement and stress of planning -- and then having -- a wedding, it's probably no surprise that only about half of male-female couples have sex on their wedding nights. But sometimes, the marriage remains unconsummated for much longer. According to a recent article, experts estimate that approximately 1 percent of relationships involve couples who'd like to have intercourse but cannot. ( Read more... )
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If you're interested in reading past news posts, you can check them out here.

And if you're interested in contributing to future news posts, email frolicnaked@vaginapagina.com.

Special thanks to free_me07 and psycheknot for helping out with this one! :)

Birth Control and Parents

So, since my mother and I have recently had the "if you need birth control you can come to me talk", it got me wondering.

Did any of you guys have that sort of talk with a parent? If so, how did it go and how old were you?

I'm 16 and my mom and I were talking about Sarah Palin in the car, and I was ragging on abstinence only sex education and my mom just goes "If you are ever going to be in situations where pregnancy could be a possibility, or even thinking about it come to and we will go to the doctor."

Short, sweet and to the point (and not nearly as awkward as I imagined)!

In the same vein, if you did go to your parent/s for birth control, how did you handle that talk?