Does this look like genital herpes?

[emmakitty.livejournal.com]

So I have these bumps on my vulva; they look a lot (to me) like ingrown hairs or some other benign thing, like fordyce spots. I've gotten bumps (that I'm pretty sure were fordyce spots) on my vulva before. They are (and have in the past) been just like ingrown hairs or pimples; I could "pop" them and whether I did that or not, they usually went away in just a few days.

( Cut for length and photo of my vulva )

Last Chance! Please vote in the Future-of-VP poll.

[rockstarbob.livejournal.com]

Hi, Superstars!

Just a reminder to please cast your votes in this here poll about the future of VP on LJ.

So far it looks like folks are in favor of keeping VP on LJ around, even if it means less curation from the VP Team. We are following the results and comments closely and very much need/welcome your input.

Thanks to everyone who's participated so far! It's not too late if you'd still like to chime in.

--Tasha / rockstarbob
For the VP Team
contact_vp

Random questions; BV, paraguard, cramping.

[lovediscomfort.livejournal.com]

So... I'm almost at a loss. I'm so tired of dealing with vaginal problems. I always have to some degree, but the past year has been pretty relentless and I'm ready for a break. Things were actually normal from March-May, but that didn't last long. I'll try to keep this short, but basically:

I've been on antibiotics for... 8 months now. Started December 14th. I did 2 month round last summer, and then I did a round in September. I have a strep issue, an autoimmune thing. I have had it for awhile, but it was just recently this past year addressed by doctors. Basically, it was causing me to have horrible panic attacks, depression, fatigue, bouts of terrible sickness. The strep was rampant in my body, my immune system was attacking my brain instead of the strep so it was just growing stronger. The only way to fix it that we could think of, or the first option, was long-term antibiotics. I was not happy about it, but that was the only way for my immune system to get strong enough to fight the strep. And it worked. I haven't had a severe panic attack since December, and things have really, really improved. However, I think I am at the point where I may be able to go off of them, especially because they're affecting me so negatively. I DO take probiotics, every day, twice a day, at a high dose, and have since the beginning. At this point it doesn't seem to be helping.

I've had a yeast infection every month since May, right before my period. I had one in February, I had one in November, I had one in October, I had one last summer during the 2 month course of antibiotics, WHILE I had a UTI. Another contributor was birth control. Before I was on the antibiotics again, my yeast infections in October and November I can DEFINITELY contribute to the Depo shot. I got it in September and it fucked everything up for me, emotionally and hormonally, and physically! I didn't realize it, though, until after I got my second one in November. Then things were really apparent. In February when I was suppose to get my 3rd, I got a copper IUD instead. Which was AWESOME, but then it ejected itself after my 2nd period with it. Then I tried the NuvaRing, didn't get my period for almost 2 months, got a yeast infection (on Depo I didn't get periods either, which I think is why I got yeast infections too? Or part of it), took it out after a month and a half and then was approved by insurance for another IUD. So I got one, in early June, have had slightly irregular periods since then, but I've had them, and they've definitely been intensified from the IUD, but I've ALWAYS had bad periods. The strange thing is, with my first IUD, I had hardly any cramps at all.

Anyway... here I am. I have had my second IUD for two months and successfully made it through two periods keeping it in tact. I love it and I really want it to work out for me. However, I'm at my wits end with infections. I may be going off antibiotics as soon as this week, and that may help a lot, but I'm worried it won't. I'm visiting my long distance boyfriend right now, we had our anniversary two days ago, and have had a lot of sex. As of today, I can smell a fishy smell down there, or at least I did after I itched myself. And I'm like, GREAT. NOW BV?! SERIOUSLY? I CANNOT afford anymore antibiotics in my system. I'm hoping it goes away on it's own and is just there from having three nights in a row of pretty intense, sometimes rough, sex. It's only the smell, I have absolutely no other symptoms. I don't even visibly see any extra discharge, no itching except for the regular old itch here and there which we all get, I believe.

However... I'm just concerned. What if I've had it longer than this? Can that affect my IUD? Could it cause PID? My last period was UNBEARABLE cramp wise. It's been over for almost a week now, and I still have cramps. I was napping today and woke up to severe cramping, which doesn't happen that much, even through my horrible periods I've had for 13 years. It's also localized to the right side mostly. It's not constant though. I just don't get why I'm still cramping more than just a little bit off of my period. I'm worried about that, along with the BV. After my period in July, which was bad but not as bad as August's, I didn't cramp at all except for a few days leading up to my next period. I've checked my IUD, and I can feel the strings, and everything seems to be in place normally.

Also, I do have endometriosis. I've had messed up periods my whole life. One time I didn't get it for 9 months, for no apparent reason, following a 3 month long period. This was a few years ago. No doctors ever figured out why. AND I've been having a lot of hip pain recently, and lower back pain, that I can't seem to figure out where it's coming from, but I am suspicious it may be linked to Endo or something else in my pelvic/reproductive region... I'm JUST AT A LOSS!! I want to be normal when it comes to my reproductive system. And I want to have sex with no worries. I have been sexually assaulted, and I've read that that can increase one having reproductive issues but I don't know the validity of that.

So, now that I've ranted (I'm sorry if this is too long, don't know where else to post), here are my main questions:
- If it is BV, very early, could it clear up on it's own? Would hot baths help at all? I've read that online.
- If it is BV, should I not have sex? Could I give it to my boyfriend, and he give it back to me? If the smell goes away in a few days, I'd like to have more sex, because I'm leaving soon and we only see each other every couple of weeks.
- If it is BV, can that mess with me because of my IUD?
- After reading, does anyone have any advice for me? Any ideas?

Thank you for reading, and I'm sorry it's so long and for ranting!

Unexpected vaginal bleeding/spotting from stimulation?

[silverwing84.livejournal.com]

I'm really freaking out and don't know what happened.

So, for some background info I'm a fairly healthy 30-year-old. I've had regular periods for the past year, every 4-5 weeks and lasting 3-4 days. I'm not on any BC at all-- no pills, no IUD. I have only one sporadic partner right now and we use condoms. We last had sex a week and a half ago then I got my period on Thursday, stopped bleeding Saturday.

so everything's total normal until this afternoon when I, er, double-clicked the mouse. I do it easily 2-4 times a day when I'm not on my period and nothing's ever happened from it. Until today. I get off and suddenly freak out because my hand's covered in blood.

Not that dark, goopy menstrual blood that has a certain odor. No it was blood blood. It had the same color and consistency as the time I almost tore my shin open skateboarding. I wondered if it was my period coming back but I haven't had cramps since Friday. I thought the bleeding just stopped but then I was peeing out a trace amount of blood later, 4 hours later and I've had to go through two maxi pads.

I tried booking an appointment through Zocdoc to see a gyno tomorrow afternoon and haven't received a confirmation yet. But I'm totally freaking out because I don't know what could be causing it. Especially since I've done various searches on "vaginal bleeding after masturbation" and "vaginal bleeding after clitoral stimulation" and am not coming up with anything that applies to me: like I said, I'm not on any pills-- at all. I take zero medications save for multivitamins. No IUDs or hormonal birth control as I know those can cause bleeding.

I didn't push my fingers inside, no toys at all let alone anything involving insertion. I don't even use tampons. Nothing involving a loose or jagged fingernail, even if that were the case I don't think I'd still be spotting HOURS later.

Has anyone had any experience with this? Or heard about it? Why would a clitoral orgasm suddenly cause a ton of bleeding when I've done it all the time with nothing happening for several years?