I need some advice...

[nothingiswasted.livejournal.com]

Hi guys, I'm brand new! This seems like a really good group for women's issues and I need some help... I'm not completely sure this is a "lady problem" but a lot of my symptoms say it is.

At first I thought I had some mild UTI because I had to use the bathroom a lot, but didn't have a lot in me. However, it was never painful and it never progressed like UTIs have in the past. I've also had abdominal pain and some swelling or bloating low in my abdomen. The pain is weird. I definitely had some cramps from my uterus, but at times I get pain to the left side (like my ovary or something) and right now it feels like it's in my side/back which makes me worry about a kidney infection.  But I've definitely had uterine cramps for the past two weeks (which is weird; I don't get my period until next week) and I've had more discharge than usual accompanying it. The discharge doesn't seem to indicate an infection, as it doesn't smell and looks like normal discharge; it's just that there's a lot more of it than usual. I am sexually active and on a birth control pill...it has crossed my mind that I could be pregnant, but I don't really think so. I haven't tested or anything yet. I should get my period next week.

This is so frustrating! I don't know where the pain is, or what's really going on. It's usually a pretty dull pain, like slight cramping. At times it does get a bit worse but it's nothing excruciating.

I don't even know what doctor to go to. I don't have a regular doctor so I'd end up at an urgent care type place. I do have an OB-GYN but I don't know if this is a lady problem or not...

in the realm of sexuality and talking dirty

[tornattheelbo.livejournal.com]

So, my partner and i have been together for just over a year. In that span of time we've enjoyed a lot of really fantastic sex, and one of his favorite things about me is my sexuality and my openness...it's one of MY favorite things about me!

I have a super high libido and i enjoy masturbation often, i write erotica, i love to enjoy many facets of being sexual, but one thing I struggle with is talking dirty.

I know my partner is a hugely auditory driven person. He is musical and loves to talk when we are playing, about all the amazing things he'd like to do with me and others, and it's totally a turn-on for me to have him talk dirty to me

but as soon as he turns the focus to me, i completely flood with thoughts and then i shut down, especially in a high pressure situation - for example, tonight we were playing, and he's telling me what he'd like to see happen with a certain girlfriend i have who is interested in sharing us sometime. He is telling me how he'd like to see her do this and then he says 'what about you, what do you want to happen?'

and immediately thoughts start circling. stopping up in the drain. A lot of them are sexual and i just want to really say any old thing, but i just can't. Even if i did try to speak, it would probably come out jumbled and i'd trip over my words i'm sure.

It feels like a shot in the gut tonight that I can't do this. I desperately want to get past this anxiety.

I feel like, i can do this in some capacities. When I'm having a good night i can feel very vocal about how good he feels and how much i'd like to do X and what have you... I want to be able to elaborate on this. I am sure some of this comes from past relationship trauma, but I am having a hard time making a connection as to why this is so difficult...

ugh, i just need some guidance on this.

History of Menstrual Products!

[madannevain17.livejournal.com]

I was searching around about disposable pads, cups, etc, and stumbled upon this really cool article.

http://www.gurl.com/findout/guides/articles/1,,716773,00.html

It features a timeline from pre-history to present of menstrual products, and has a bunch of neat information.

petting

[gangsta-chicken.livejournal.com]

is it possible to get pregnant from petting? no finger inside the vagina and his hands were dry as were mine, am i just being paranoid?

skin tag..

[villagetheatre.livejournal.com]

I don't know if that would even be the right name for it... just a piece of skin of my vulva that I noticed last night when I was de-hairing myself. It's not the first time I've noticed and I just had two OBGYN appointments, so the doctor would've said something if he thought it was herpes or warts, right?

It's skin color and it doesn't hurt or itch, it's just there. thanks!

Decreased vaginal discharge in a YI

[jackie-spies.livejournal.com]

Hi,

So I believe I have a yeast infection, but instead of increased discharge, I have zero discharge. It burns when I urinate, and I have a rash going on. I'm on Ortho-Trycyclin Lo at the moment. I've had this before, after I stopped taking Depro and I'm wondering if it's caused by the pill now. I'm seeing my boyfriend who I haven't seen in literally months in a week and a half. I would stop taking it and see if that helps, but the problem is I'm due to have my period then. I'm a student with no car, so I have very limited healthcare options.

Loss of apetite on HBC?

[mycolorfulheart.livejournal.com]

I know it's too early to really be concerned about this, but I was just wondering:

I've been on Ortho Cyclen for three days, and I've had basically no appetite for those days. Is that a side effect? Or maybe just a fluke? Has anyone else had the same thing? TIA.

Pushup Bra Question

[disturbedme.livejournal.com]

This is probably a stupid question, but it's about pushup bras (I think those type of questions are allowed here, right?). I've never owned one nor ever worn one, and last night I bought one. Of course I bought my size... put it on when I got home... and it doesn't push up my boobs very well at all. Actually, not at all...

So I'm a little bit confused. What's going on? I'm thinking maybe I need to buy a bra that's a tad smaller than my size or something to really push them up so it's noticeable?

First gyno appointment, starting birth control, and some lingering symptoms.

[lleeeesshhhh.livejournal.com]

I went to the gyno the other day. First thing she gave me a pregnancy test and confirmed that I'm not pregnant. We talked about birth control and other stuff and she didn't even see any reason to give me an exam since I'm not "sexually active", but I requested one anyway.

I have a couple questions.

*she gave me a couple sample boxes of yaz, and I was just wondering if there is an ideal time to start it, or if I can take the first pill pretty much whenever I want. I was thinking that it might make me feel more comfortable if I waited until after my next period, just to make sure that I actually get one.

*does anyone have any experience with yaz and any input to share? I guess it is the pill my doctor actually uses and she's pretty thrilled with it. I do have pretty bad PMS symptoms, and she explained that it was a low dose birth control pill. I most likely need a verrrry low dose because all the women in my family have had problems with nausea and such on birth control.

*I am still having a LOT of discharge. I've really never experienced this much before. When I explained it to the gyno she didn't seem to be alarmed, but she did deem it enough of a symptom to have an exam. I suppose I'll know for sure in a week or so when she calls me, but my mother seems to think that if I had any kind of infection or anything she would have been able to tell during the exam. Should I be concerned at all that this is signaling some other problem with my body? I've been thinking that maybe all the stressing and the decrease in eating could be a cause. I've never really put my body through so much stress before.

Also, I've still been having trouble eating. Sometimes I dread trying to swallow food, and I seem to feel full after only a couple of bites. This probably isn't the place to ask this type of question, but I was just wondering if anyone thinks this warrants a check up or anything. I always feel hungry, I just never have an appetite. This problem didn't really start happening until the "pregnancy scare" but coinicidences can happen I guess. My boyfriend thinks my body is just having a hard time settling down from all the stress, and he's attempting to be very gentle and help me "get through this".

You are all wonderful people and I thank you so much for all the help.

HBC and Steroids and Antibiotics?

[thecoolbanana.livejournal.com]

So I've been on my HBC, Ocella, since mid August. This past month I've been SO sick...got fed up with the fabulous campus docs and went to the ER. They put me on Azithromycin Tablets (z-pac) and MethylPREDNISolone Tablets(steroids). This was last Friday, the 6th. I finished everything on Wednesday the 12th.

I've read things about antibiotics making the pill less effective, a friend going into the medical field said there is nothing to worry about if I haven't missed any (which I haven't, and make sure to take it at the same time EVERY night). But I wanted reassurance from you guys! I am having my guy over and this is the first time that we're going to do anything in SO LONG because I've been so ill. Just paranoid about whether the antibiotics and steroids would have messed with my pill.

Thanks so much.

HPV/genital warts

[rufinahellcat.livejournal.com]

There is a chance my best friend has been exposed to HPV (the strain that causes genital warts).
I am highly aware that condoms don't cover most parts of the skin and that it is transmitted through skin on skin contact.
During the time of exposure, though, the condom that they were using slipped off, and they didn't realize until half way through.

How likely is it that she will contract this strain of HPV?
I read that it is something like a 60% chance of contracting it.
She asked me, and I had no idea how to answer, so I thought I'd come to you guys.

menstruation and unquenchable thirst

[alline-mathin.livejournal.com]

Sometimes, during my period or not, for a few days to a week at a time I get this madeningly unquenchable thirst. Why?!? It drives me nuts! I drink alot of water to begin with, but with this thirst water doesn't help, though really cold water helps for a few minutes. Could it be connected to menstruation somehow? Am I low on a certain nutrient (though that doesn't seem logical)? Could there be something wrong with my kidneys? But then why is it often one of the signs I'm going to start bleeding soon? Does anyone else experience this? What the hell?!

Estrogen and Dry Sockets

[inmycrease.livejournal.com]

I’m planning on getting my wisdom teeth out soon and the Dr. mentioned that 1/200 of his patients suffer from dry sockets after surgery but that 1/7 of his patients that are female and on birth control will have dry sockets. When I asked, he said that this was because of the estrogen in birth control and that it will actually break down the blood clot and that’s why dry sockets are so prevalent. I am on the depo shot and from what I understand it is estrogen free. Obviously I will still take all preventions against dry sockets, but do you lovely people think that I’m still at that 1/7 risk? Thanks so much for any info. Hope the info I got today is relevant to others.
Have a great rest of the weekend VPers and thanks in advance!

everlasting period

[xkiller-cupcake.livejournal.com]

my friend has been having very strange period issues.
she's currently on Yaz, and about a month ago she skipped her period and everything was normal and she kept taking the pill continuously. however 2 weeks later, she got her period and it lasted almost 2 and a half weeks even though she kept taking her pill. Her "period" finally stopped for about a week, and then she got her "real" period (the one that came on schedule). Now, this period has lasted a week so far, and she has on and off spotting every day.
what is going on?? She has called her gyno but she hasnt gotten a call back, and at this point she is a little nervous, this cant be normal. Any ideas/advice?
thanks :)

funny menstrual cup moment

[beautiflytragic.livejournal.com]

Hey everyone!  I'd like to share this amusing anecdote with you =).

A few days ago, I was at my boyfiend's place.  I had just taken my femmecup out and left it on the bathroom counter on a piece of toilet paper.  A few moments later, my boyfriend walks into the bathroom and notices the femmecup (he had known I used it for my period, but he had never seen it before).  Then, he says "oh this is IT!?!"  He then picks it up, examines it, SMELLS it, and then says, "it's so big!  how to you fit this thing in there??!"

After a few moments of silence, I burst out laughing.  XD.

My boyfriend is one in a million, I tell you.

(btw, my boyfriend's penis is deffinetly wider and over 3 times as long as my femmecup...which partially accounts for my incredulous response)

noises during sex - personal opinions

[technogeist.livejournal.com]

My roommate and I had a discussion about noises during sex - she thinks it would be weird to make any noise, and I think it would be impossible not to! What do you guys think? Are you loud, dead quiet, sexy talk, don't say a word?

gardasil vaccination?

[moshfloorkiller.livejournal.com]

 lately my doctor has been really trying to push the gardasil vac on me.
i have told her time and time again that i am not comfortable with getting it. i've heard a lot of bad reports about it's safety and have never felt comfortable with new vaccinations. 

if you've had it, why did you get it?
did you experience any side effects and would you reccomend it?
am i just being paranoid? there's just something about it that doesn't seem right; there's a vaccine for everything now it seems. is it necessary?

oh and just some background info;
i have been sexually active nearly two years now with one partner, my long term boyfriend who has been tested for everything and has come up clear. i am on the pill as my primary form of protection. there is no known history of HPV or cervical cancer of any women in my family so i feel like getting this shot would be just pointless.

EDIT: i have decided to NOT get the shot under any circumstances. not only is it simply a gut feeling, but also, after much reading BOTH SIDES, i have decided to stick with my beliefs as well. the drug companies are out to get your money. i don't want to turn this into a huge debate, but it's just against my own personal moral values. i've never been too fond of drug companies and have researched some natural ways to prevent/cure HPV and would rather take that approach if need be. thank you all though, for the replies, you definitely helped me reach my decision :)