Spotting after sex?

[mmkthanks.livejournal.com]

I started my first month of HBC. I have been on it for 3 weeks. I never had a problem with spotting after sex before I started taking HBC. Is this normal? It doesn't happen every time and it's not a lot of blood at all, but I'm still wondering if it's something I should be concerned about.

Thanks! 

PS: It's not immediately after the sex. I notice it later, usually after a shower.

Light, strange period on HBC

[just-usthree.livejournal.com]

Hey guys,

I hope this isn't a FAQ - I checked all over and couldn't find anything.

I've been on Loestrin 24fe for about a year now, and I take it fairly regularly. This month I was late on a pill one week, and late on another pill a week later. I had unprotected sex 3 times, once a week each week before my period. My period usually starts on a Thursday and is heavy with lots of back cramping. This month, it started early Friday morning, and it was really thick and brown. The discharge was a lot lighter than usual, but lasted about 3 1/2 days.

Has this happened to anyone on HBC before? When I was on Yaz this sort of period was very common, but I've never had this problem on Loestrin before.

finding a new doctor question

[xlovehatelovex.livejournal.com]

Hi, I have a really stupid question.

For the first time, I am looking for a new doctor for myself. I've moved so I won't be going to the doctor that I've gone to for years. I was looking at the website for my health insurance, trying to find a new doctor, when I realized I have no idea what I'm looking for.

There's an option for "primary care physician" and a separate option for "gynecology." Do primary care physicians do pap smears? Or do I have to find a gynecologist AND a primary care physician? I need a pap smear and all that, but I want a regular doctor, too.

I'm sorry for my ignorance. lol. I didn't know who else to ask, I don't really have any female friends...

menstrual sponges question

[boltedshut.livejournal.com]

just a quick question for anyone who's used sponges... i've recently tried using them and am wondering, the only way i can get them inside my vaginal canal is if i wet them, but then i'm thinking, isn't this going to give me a yeast infection?
any thoughts?

Pain after sex/fingering

[estrellafugaz85.livejournal.com]

Hey everyone

I am still without a cause for my pelvic pain. Basically, I've been having this weird little pinchy pains in my ovaries area for the last year or so, and have since discovered I have PCOS, which I had suspected. Before I knew about the PCOS, I went to the STI clinic for swabs, as I was having weird discharge. My swabs were negative but I was in a lot of pain during the exam, and the doctor assumed PID. The pain continued at the next appointment, after I'd taken the antibiotics for PID, so they said they doubted I'd ever had it. My GP suggested it could be chronic PID (I'd been treated for 'suspected' chlamydia in 2006 without a test) but I'd had the weird discharge looong before I ever had sex and had had many pelvic exams and swabs done without pain in the last few years.

I have had recurrent BV for the last 3-4 months but different doctors seem to have different opinions over whether it should cause pain. The amount of discharge coming out of my vag has decreased dramatically since I started long term treatment for the BV, so that's interesting. The thing is, it doesn't hurt that much to have sex or mess around, but it hurts AFTERWARDS. And in a weird place too. Not so much my cervix/pelvic area, but it hurts even under my chest. The pain comes on around 5 mins after sex and lasts for about half an hour. It's like a 'full of air' feeling as well as pain. I have IBS so I suffer from bloating but how would sex cause this?
I'm so confused!

[Anonymous Post]: PCOS

[glasspumpkin.livejournal.com]

Greetings, fellow Superstars! 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.

Molly
For the VP Team
contact_vp
______________________

I just found out that I have PCOS. I have irregular bleeding, a small cyst in my ovary, higher testosterone, and I've had acne since I was 8. I don't have much body hair and I'm far from being overweight. I wear a size zero and I have a small frame. Will I eventually become overweight and get a lot of body hair? I'm just not sure what do do about having this.

Another genital warts/HPV question

[galeotti.livejournal.com]

I know something along these lines was just recently posted, but I think the other poster and I are looking for somewhat different answers.

So, I'm thinking it's likely that I have a case of genital warts. As in, a few months ago, some bumps that hadn't before existed came up on my vulva/nether-regions and they haven't gone away. Coincidentally, they cropped up right about the time that my girlfriend (my only sexual partner, in any capacity, ever) got back an abnormal pap smear that was later confirmed to be HPV. She does not have warts, however.

I haven't gotten them checked out by a doctor, nor have I ever had a pap smear (I'm 21 and didn't think it was necessary until I was sexually active - at which point I lost my insurance coverage).

My question is...what do I do? I think it unlikely that they'll go away on their own, and that liberal use of Compound W on my lady-parts is probably a really horrible idea. I'm a college student, and I can't really afford the cost of a visit to even the university health clinic, let alone the procedures and prescription necessary - but I read that if left untreated for a long period of time, then topical treatments will no longer work on the warts, and they'll have to be surgically removed! We also have no Planned Parenthood in my area, so the sliding pay scale option is out.

I'm also concerned about the strain of HPV that I could possibly have - I'm pretty sure the doctor told my girlfriend her strain was the non-cancer-causing variety (she's had the Gardasil shot, anyway) but how come she doesn't have warts and I do? Should I be concerned about someday having the nasty "C" word?

I'm just kind of at a loss here, so advice is appreciated.

Itching

[xxxemily.livejournal.com]

Hello.

About two weeks ago, I developed an itchiness around my vulva/labia. I initially accounted it to an after-sex itch (condom irritation, etc) that would go away after a day or so. The itching has only become worse over time; it is tolerable in the daytime, yet my sleep has been disturbed twice now during the night and is borderline intolerable. I do not have any unusual odor or discharge, nor does anything look different visually. I am just incredibly itchy.

I tried changing my body wash. The problem lessened over a few days, but then worsened again. My laundry soap has been unchanged for months.

I have been sexually active with a guy for about a month now. We always use condoms for intercourse... however, there is not any protection for oral sex.

Researching things, I'm scared to say I have signs of trichomoniasis (itching, but no discharge/odor). I was tested about two months ago (std-free), and he is the only partner I've had since then. He claims to have been tested for the "major" STD's through bloodwork. I've asked him to get tested again, but he does not have medical insurance at the moment.

Have any of you experienced just itching with no other symptoms? Am I being paranoid or unrealistic to think trich is a possibility? Any other thoughts or advice? =\

Oh, and I've only not visited my gyno because I've worked every day since the itching began, and the office closes before I get out of work..