Being comfortable being a virgin

[bigoldvirgin.livejournal.com]

Sock puppet account, just because.

I'm 21 and a big old virgin.  And I really am in all senses of the word.  The most physical contact I've had with anyone else is a kiss on the cheek, and even then, we were both drunk.  Sometimes, I get really down on myself about this.  I feel ugly, unattractive, immature, undesirable, that I'll never have a relationship with anyone ever and I'm doomed to be alone and grumpy the rest of my life.  I wouldn't feel as negative about it if I'd had intimate relationships with people and just chose not to have a physical relationship, but I've never had anything close to a romantic relationship ever, either. So VP superstars, do you have any links for me to go to when I feel down about this?  It saddens me how depressed I can get about it ( haha - getting depressed about being depressed), and am looking for some kind of remedy for it.

Thank you :D

Do they make these?

[electriceff.livejournal.com]

Hello all! I'm new, this is my first post here :)


Anyway, i'm having trouble finding a specific kind of toy and i'm not quite sure if they make them. You know those kinds of vibrators that you can hook up to your iPod/mp3 player and they vibrate to whatever music you're listening to? I've been looking and all i've found are penetrative ones. i'm looking more for a bullet vibrator that hooks up to an mp3 player because I don't really enjoy penetration much, i'd like something that I can use outside of the house when I go out and I just love the concept of having a different vibe pattern with every song that comes on. Do they make those? Help and links would be very much appreciated! :)

Completely skipped a pill last month - now what?

[thinktink16.livejournal.com]

Hi friends! Once again, I'm having a birth control problem that I can't seem to understand for sure. A few weeks back, I posted a question that I can't find now. Basically I dropped one of my Ortho Tri Cylin Lo pills and lost it. So what I ended up doing was starting a new pack at the same place I dropped the old pill. I went through the end of the new pack and then started the new month from the beginning of the new pack. Now that I'm almost back to the place where I can finish the old one, I'm still stuck with the same problem. I'm going to be short one pill this month.

Now, I have a few questions:

Will my unprotection begin as soon as my body misses this pill? (Because I know normally I'm not protected on my period week if I have less than 21 days of pills... but since this is a triphasic pill, will my body recognize that it's missing one of its middle phases and stop the protection then?)

There is a possibility that I will need protection later this month/beginning of September. Condoms will be used, but I would like to know that my pills are working fine. Could I just get a new pack and start from the beginning, so that I will have had at least 21 pills? Like, just stop at day 14, where I'm at now, and start today on day 1 of a new pack? I know that this would have been fine on a monophasic pill, but does that work on triphasic pills? I read the vulvapaedia section on skipping a period on a triphasic pill but I'm confused about how I might do it if I'm smack in the middle. If I start over now, I'd be starting at a lower hormone than where I'm at right now, which might cause a breakthrough bleed (but maybe not - since the pill I'm at now is in the middle of the pack, not the end).

Could I just throw the rest of this pack away and just start a new, complete pack from where I am in the cycle? That would make the protection 100% complete, right?

Wayyy too many questions. Maybe you could just point to one option and say THATS WHAT YOU SHOULD DO!!!!

I just basically don't want to wait for two months to know that I have complete protection.

Thanks!

Using garlic to treat a yeast infection.

[joystreet.livejournal.com]

Greetings, all!  This post is for all the home remedy heroes out there on VP.

I recently discovered that I have my first yeast infection.  I noticed some itchiness at the base of my vaginal opening and an unpleasant odor on Sunday and I went to the clinic on Monday to find out for sure what it was.  I received fluconazole/diflucan (single dose) to treat it but have not yet taken it.  My personal history with Western medications has yielded more complications and adverse effects than success so I'm a little jaded (and conversely I've always had great success with, at worst, neutral effects from natural remedies) and the reviews I'd read online didn't give me much confidence in this pill on the long term. 

I went online and discovered a couple of cures that worked for others: ACV baths (is there anything apple cider vinegar is not used to cure?), yogurt, and garlic.  Being far too tall for a bath in my tub I'm too lazy to clean, I haven't tried the ACV bath and I've yet to try to the yogurt remedy as well.  On Monday night, I tried the garlic remedy, which simply consists of inserting a freshly peeled clove of garlic vaginally.  The next morning, the itching had almost completely subsided.  I did notice the tiniest light pink trace of blood when I wiped after peeing last night, but there was no pain and I didn't think much of it (I am expecting my period within the week or so).  I repeated the process last night.  This morning, I noticed that though the itching hasn't returned, the area is a little tender to the touch when I wipe after peeing I am spotting. There is still very little but more blood.  I asked my partner to take a look and he says I look red  and "raw".  I know that some folks are very sensitive to the garlic's juice and that's why it's advised not to nick or slice the clove while peeling.  I've been threading the cloves with a needle to make them easier to remove in the mornings.  Could this be the reason I am having this effect?  Has anyone else had this reaction?  And if so, any advice?  Thanks to all who can contribute.

Cheers,
Maria


PS - For all those inclined, my partner has pretty much covered all of the safe-guarding-my-vagina-against-vampires jokes...

Every 2 years?? Then every 3?!

[missjebbit.livejournal.com]

I just called to make my yearly gynegologist appointment and was told I can still go in for an exam and to get my pills renewed but pap smears are only every 2 years as long as your tests are coming back okay. Then once you're in your 30s it's every three years! Shouldn't it be MORE often as we age?? Pal smears aren't pleasant but at least I know on a yearly basis I am healthy down there. I'm angry about this. Surely I can request it every year if I want? But I doubt my insurance will pay for it to be done yearly.

Anyone else upset about this?? I like knowing the ole hooha is doin what it's supposed
to :(

Discharge and Late Period

[aynsih.livejournal.com]

 Hi, this is my first post here though I've been watching this place for a while. Recently some things have come up that I wanted to ask here for opinions and possible answers before I overly stress myself out.

Current Situation:
I can't remember the date of my last period, but if I remember correct it was around the 10th of July. I'm overly late, and I haven't even had any cramps or anything. I have a lot of stomach problems (IBS, Acid Reflux) so I can tell the differences usually in whats causing the pain. I am a virgin, though I've been dating a guy for a month and a half and we've fooled around a little, but nothing even close to penetration; heck not even him ejaculating so I say with confidence I'm not pregnant.
Then is the second problem, I've been having some slight discharge where it releases an occasional strong odor. I have a very sensitive nose, so may also possibly just be over exaggerating it. I take showers every other day or so (it is irregular with school and my first year of college, just arriving back from a family vacation and such.) After showers though, it seems to be gone but by the next day it's back. The discharge is a very slight yellow tinge in small chunks consistency--Not a lot of it though even. It itches occasionally and sometimes a slight irratation as of recently.

EDIT: Also, I forgot to mention, Recently I had a really bad Strep throat for a while and had to take medicine for it, and I'm still slightly sick even now. 

I'm a virgin, but it is a it intimidating that my mom may think my boyfriend and I have already slept together because of having vaginal problems and no period, I'm scared they'll assume the worse. I've had bad experiences in the past with doctors and my sexual health that have left me intimidated to say the least.( Fear of Doctor Story (For those interested) )

HBC and heat

[in-pieces.livejournal.com]

I went on vacation a few weeks ago. During that time, at least for the first two days, the temperature was hot, mid 90s with a heat index nearing 110 or so. Since we were outdoors, I kept my BC in a small backpack that we carried around, until we got back to our hotel at night.

I'm pretty sure that everything is fine, since its the same procedure that I did last year, but i'm really wanting to have the sexytimes with the boyfriend now, and I will be getting my period on friday...


so really, since the majority of the time, the pills were in my purse while driving (so they were in an air conditioned car, away from light), or in a backpack, albiet outside, the whole issue with HBC and temperature shouldn't be a problem right?


I guess I just want a bit of piece of mind that they're fine. If worse comes to worse, I'll just wait to have sex, until I've started my new pack. I shouldn't have to wait any period of time after I start my new pack right?

How long do premenstrual symptoms typically last?

[fleckerbug.livejournal.com]

I know this is dumb, but how long do premenstrual symptoms normally last? I just can't remember... it's just been so long since I've had a real period; when I induce my period with progesterone I'm crampy for maybe 2-3 days. I might be pregnant and have been having cramping for the last 6 days... I'd think if I were going to get my period, it'd be here by now (I'm on CD 31, ovulated anywhere from 12-19, I think closer to 19, no +HPT yet but no period either). The cramping today is the worst it's been, on par with what I usually feel the first day of my period. I am spotting very lightly, have been since Sunday... I thought because I'm constipated (sensitive cervix), mostly brownish , but it doesn't seem like my period is starting and I spotted a lot with my first pregnancy.

Vaginal Abrasion

[kitsu.livejournal.com]

Hey everyone!

I just had my first trip to the OB/GYN and it was an okay experience. I've been experiencing vaginal pain since the beginning of the week and was worried it was a yeast infection. The OB said it was a vaginal abrasion and to keep the area dry. He mentioned wearing cotton underwear and being sure to wipe well, both of which I already do. Does anyone have any other tips on how to do that? Would using baby powder be okay?

Thanks!

Anonymous Post - Sex & Anti-Depressants?

[jocelina.livejournal.com]

Hello, fellow VPers! 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. Thank you in advance for your helpful comments. :)

Jocey
For the VP Team
contact_vp

P.S. For more info on anonymous posts, see this link.

---

Not sure if this belong here exactly, but I thought I'd ask anyways. My boyfriend is on anti-depressant meds (of which type I'm not sure), and he has found that it makes it more difficult for him to get and maintain an erection, as well as ejaculate. I don't particularly mind this, though it does rather limit the few opportunities we have to have PIV sex. He can't seem to control when to get an erection easily, nor does any stimulation help significantly if it's not "a good time." We are able to do our fair share of fooling around, and he does get erections. Let that stand. So, anyways, my question is for those who have partners using meds with similar effects. How do you deal with this, and have you found anything that helps, whether it be a certain move, tactic, or med plan?

Thanks in advance, VP!

Gyno? Endo?

[beccalicious-xo.livejournal.com]

So, my doctor likes to make me have a pap done every 6 months. Everytime the cells come back "abnormal", but that's "normal" for me, and "abnormal" runs in my family apparently. She assures me it's nothing big (cancer, STI, etc), but wants to keep doing it every 6 months.

Until I had this female doctor, I had not had a pap, despite being sexually active for four years prior to and being on the pill. I kept avoiding the appointments and rebooking them.

It's the 6 month mark, and I've been booked for one on September 3. My doctor is going off on maternity leave, and there's a chance I could get the doctor that I've been avoiding having do them. He's an older man who I'm not 100% comfortable discussing my girly bits with.

I do have PCOS, and signs of endomitriosis (self-diagnosed, ha!)

Would it benefit me to make an appointment with a gyno? An endo? Does one usually need a referral for these appointments?

I'm really NOT comfortable with the man doing the pap and have relayed this to the doctors' office, however they said that it's not safe that I wait until the female doctor is back. I'm thinking of calling the morning of and asking who's doing it, and if he is, saying I'm 100% NOT comfortable, and rebooking. Safe or not safe, I need to be comfortable.

HPV shots

[misssockpuppet.livejournal.com]

So, I got my first two HPV shots within the last year and a half, and my old obgyn contacted me a few months ago about getting my final shot. I forgot about this until just a moment ago, and though "oh sh*t". So, does anyone know how late is too late for the 3rd shot? Can my primary care administer it or do I need to find someone at my new obgyn to do it? And also, will I need to go through a whole new course of shots if it's too late? Thank you!