I, 30F, just started dating a 30M man who just told me last night he has oral herpes. At first I didnt know what to think so I didnt really react. We haven't had sex yet so I didnt panic or anything. I told him I appreciate him telling me but that I'll need time to think things through and do some research. I can tell he doesnt have any ill intentions and he doesnt want to hurt me which is why he said something when he did but it scares me a bit since ive never tested positive for anything before. Anyone have any experiences like this? What advice can you give me?

I really like him and id hate to throw away everything we have already began building together over something that may not be a big deal. My anxiety may be whats talking now.

Edit: Ok so its actually oral HSV2 to be specific

Hey everyone! Need some practical advice on a topic that feels silly to ask about, but here we are.
I know the golden rule: never flush them (my plumbing/wallet thanks me). So, I throw them in my small bathroom trash can with a liner.

Here’s my problem: after a couple of days, the trash can starts to smell pretty horrendous. But because it's just a small bathroom bin, there isn't actually enough overall trash in there to justify tying off and tossing the whole bag every single day.

It feels like a waste of plastic bags to empty it daily, but keeping it in the bathroom for 3–4 days is not working out for my nose.

How do you guys handle this at home?

Would love to hear your routines, favorite hacks, or product recommendations! Thanks in advance! ❤️

so i had to go get the above about 3 weeks ago and started spotting the day after and it hasn’t stopped since. i’m just wondering is that normal or should i be seeking medical attention?

Story time: I have been experiencing this for years. The education system, lack of awareness and researchs on womens health is in the gutter. Every month man everymonth i get this pain, and here i am thinking that whats wrong with my body im weeks away from periods to get period pain. and as the anxious person i am i start expecting for my periods from that day even though i am fully aware that mine is weeks apart. when it comes to think of it in school and college we have only been taught women get periods - mensturation ( readon for mensturation) and theres ovulation period where you can conceive. Thats it. Then it was all about sex and baby making science + xy chromosomes thing.
What are we educating? what are people creating these days and till now -chaos ? meta glasses? trip to mars?

for your context : mittelschmerz is a pain experienced in ovulation period. Apparently 40% women experinece this( this stat i heard from a reel and didnt fact check so take the stat with pinch of salt). But guys the issue is real man.

Have any of you experienced this?

A few years ago I discovered a lump a little bit lower to where my apples atom would be if I were to have one. I’m female 34 years old. It was a very small lump and not very noticeable unless I touched it. I ignored it for a few years until it got a little bit bigger and noticeable, and finally went to the doctor where they referred me out to get an ultrasound then to ent where I was able to get CT scans and a MRI done. They initially said it was a thyglossal duck cyst and that I would need surgery to get it removed. They tried to drain it, but after draining it, it got bigger and painful. It grew from 5.6 cm to 8 cm within a month. I finally had surgery where they were supposed to perform the sistrunk procedure. My surgery was only supposed to last an hour. It ended up lasting four hours. The doctor said that it was not a thyglossal duct cyst, and that it was some type of mass that embedded itself into my aorta and into the tissue. they were able to remove it and pathology came back, saying it was a Demiroid cyst. My ENT stated that he has never seen one in this area. In my early 20s I had to get one of my ovaries removed because I had a cyst but can’t remember if it was Demiroid. Anything I look up only talks about this type of cyst being on their ovaries. Has anyone had this kind of cyst before in this area? It was growing above my breast bone under my sternum.

Hey y’all,

I have a week long trip coming up soon and it looks like my period should start the day I leave and will end on the last day🫩. Really really want to try and delay my period if possible but I’ve had awful reactions to all birth control pills so I’m hesitant to try that method again. I’d appreciate any suggestions if anyone has advice or was in a similar situation.

Hi everybody!

Lately I've been looking into having my tubes tied, and I was aware that, because I'm young and I don't have children, I would receive a lot of backlash from professionals. However, on my first visit with my doctor, she told me that having your tubes tied or extirpated can lead to an early menopause or lower blood flow on your ovaries.

Of course, I'm considering this procedure because (as long as I'm aware) it doesn't have any major changes on your cycle or hormones. And with the little research I've done on this matter I hadn't have any convincing answers, because half the sources say yes, and the other say no.

I would appreciate some inputs on this, or at least some reliable sources!

Note: I'm based in the EU!

Hello!

I have AV block of my heart (1st and 2nd degree, wenckebach). These are benign, but very annoying. I've noticed that it most often occurs when:

1. When my period is ending and the week after.

2. When I work out during this time. It usually happens night of or day after. I do martial arts so fairly high intensity.

I'm 38, most likely peri menopausal because my cycles are unpredictable.

I was just wondering if anyone else has noticed this sort of pattern. I asked my cardiologist about it and he had no information about how hormonal changes could affect AV block. Neither did my OBGYN. I'm always slightly anemic and relatively low ferritin.

My current working theory is that the blood loss from my cycle, which is fairly heavy, puts extra strain on my heart and then when I exercise during that time the overall stress causes more AV blocks. But doctors are uninterested, so I thought I would see if any other ladies have experienced something like this!

Thanks very much.

Hello all!

Back in February I went to the GP about post sex spotting (I use the word spotting rather than bleeding as it wasn't full on blood it was more so pinky discharged/pink when wiping after the loo) and after already being diagnosed with a ectopic cervix after previous smears she confirmed she assumes this is what was causing the little bleeding. She did a cervix check and was happy/not concerned so we chatted more about any other symptoms that could be linked to the ectopic cells.

We came to the conclusion that my heavier than normal discharge was also a symptom and if it was bothering me that I could be referred for treatment on the cells but it was up to me if I really wanted to have it. At the time I wasn't sure but she said she'd do the referral anyway so I had time to think.

Fast forward to now, had my appointment through!

First of all, I was incredibly confused about opening the letter because attached to the appointment slip was a guide on colposcopy treatments and how they are for looking for abnormal cells after an abnormal cervical smear test, the different levels of abnormality and cervical cancer...

My last smear was two years ago and it was normal, as confirmed as my GP when I last went? So I'm a bit confused why I've been given this guide as I'm not attending the clinic for these type of cells and if I was, they're two years late after my smear 🫣😂

The only thing I can think of is that because most women attending this clinic are going for post smear checks they've given me what they usually send to them as a general guide. I'm having a colposcopy for the gyno to check my cervical ectropion but there's nothing in the guide about them.

Secondly, I'm now starting to consider if it's even worth me having this treatment.

My appointment is at the end of September and I get married/go on a two week honeymoon in October. No sex, baths or hot tubs after treatment, extra discharge/bleeding for up to a month... Not really something I can be dealing with during my bride era 😂

I'm so desensitised to the little bleeding and heavier discharge now as I know no different. My (soon to be) husband doesn't care either and the potential of the cells coming back and me having to get it done again and again is putting me off. So I either call and move the appointment to after the honeymoon or I just sack it off all together.

Thoughts please?

Thank you in advance and I wish you all to have heathy and happy hoohas x

I’m 25F (black woman- living in UK) with a promiscuous past and im scared that it has caught up to me.

During university I went through a promiscuous phase mainly because I grew up sheltered, not really being allowed to talk to boys or date so when I went to university and had the freedom to do as I please, I slept with up to 40 men (some with protection, others without), I was also raped at one point and acquired chlamydia and gonorrhoea from it although I got it treated asap.

A year after university I got a full panel test and was completely clean however because I have health anxiety, something in my mind is telling me there’s something wrong as I have an irrational fear of HIV and it doesn’t help that I’m a hypochondriac either.

Since being tested I have slept with 5 men in the space of 4 years unprotected with no symptoms (I got a sti test as was all clear) but I’ve been avoiding getting another blood test as I’m just so scared that the first one was a false negative and this one may come out positive this time.

Please help…

what is your favorite app to use for tracking your period? i want to learn more about the phases as well!
<3

Hi, so my husband and I had sex yesterday and after, I noticed blood when I went to the bathroom. Throughout the day and into today, it’s been moderate/almost heavy bleeding (pink to light red, not like darker period blood). I also started passing clots. My period was less than 2 weeks ago so it’s not time for that. I have PCOS but my periods are pretty regular and I’m not on any birth control. I’m not in any pain, just the bleeding. In our 15 years together, this has never happened to me before. I will say, it hurt at the beginning of sex because I was not lubed up enough and I do feel like he hit my cervix. But does that cause this much blood and clots? Any advice?

A week ago I had a chemical early loss dr confirmed at 4 weeks. HGC was only 1 Miu/mil at the time of the blood test. Soils be 0 now. I had a heavier period and it started a day late. It is only 3 days after my period and I am already getting high ovulation test results soon to peak in the next day or so. I have a 24 day cycle. Is this likely because of my short cycles or because of the chemical loss? This is my 4th cycle trying after stopping birth control after 9 years.

Hi guys. I was on the combo pill from age 12-18 for extremely heavy bleeding and almost constant periods. My aunt has endometriosis so bad she cannot have children. (Stay with me for this)
I took a break from the combination pill and had relatively okay experience. Normal periods. Something that happened all throughout ages 13-18 was these extremely painful “flare ups” around a week before my period. Would start with burning pain, then I’d end up bed ridden for days. Couldn’t eat, couldn’t drink. This eventually led to me believing my ovary getting randomly INFECTED was one of those flare ups to which I ignored and then was hospitalized for 5 days.
I had an operation a few months later where my gyno removed “adhesions” from my pelvic wall and bladder. I also ended up feeling what I thought was a nodule in my lower left abdomen, had ultrasounds and everything to which they informed me it was my ovary, which is so weird, how would my ovary had moved? It hurts to press on it like if you WERE pressing on your ovary, but I honestly and truly think that there’s some scar tissue, maybe from the surgery, pressing my ovary forward. ??

I’m now on the progesterone only pill, because I do use nicotine, so for health reasons I chose that route.
I’m now beginning to experience the same pinching feeling, the same cramps in my back, my rectum, the burning feeling without a flare up. I’m afraid the adhesions are reforming and that I was experiencing either cysts rupturing every month or an under the radar endometriosis.
My boobs are also extremely heavy and nipples very sore right now. Idk if feeling PMS symptoms are normal with this form of birth control or whatever but I’m just trying to figure out if anyone out there has ever had something similar happen to them because I’m very worried. I have my next gyno app in August but I’m fearful of that wait. If anyone has any questions or topics they can suggest for me to bring up to my gyno, please feel free to just give some advice.

F26: about 3 weeks ago I had an annual obgyn checkup, it went seemingly well, I was told everything looked ok, etc. i also did a culture test and it came back negative. However, it was the most painful gynaecological exam I’ve ever experienced, I felt sharp pain but didn’t give it much thought.

A few days after the visit i had penetrative sex and it felt somewhat off, was more uncomfortable than usual and i felt some abdominal pain the next day but thought it’s just my partner’s size and maybe some angle was too much.

A couple of days after that we had sex again and I found myself feeling more discomfort, dryness, and my partner also said that it felt tighter than usual. We ended up stopping because I was in pain. The next day I woke up feeling abdominal pain yet again, and it lasted over the next 3-4 days and resembled menstrual cramps, although the cycle was never near the time when I’d usually get them.

I freaked out and decided it would be better to abstain from sex for a bit and let it all heal, so two weeks pass, and we tried again, being very cautious and all. Although the pain wasn’t there during the process, and my partner said it felt normal, i felt like I was more dry than usual and as if even lube didn’t eliminate that feeling. Since then I got UTI-like sensations while peeing, abdominal pain, and absolutely no discharge along with the burning feeling of dryness inside.

I saw a different gyno who said nothing seemed off during a visual check, she prescribed me a bunch of culture and STI tests, which I will do soon, but it just doesn’t feel like a typical infection or whatnot.

I’m extremely devastated as I’ve never had problems with feeling dry or persistent abdominal pain that would manifest itself like that and affect my sexual life deeply. Now I’m just scared of trying again cuz I feel like the pain would come back.

If anyone has experienced anything similar, please let me know what it was and has helped.

Recently had my cyst drained and catheter fitted for the 3rd time in less than 2 months.

1st time, the cyst I’ve had for many years decided to grow to the size of a tangerine in the space of 2 days and got severely infected, not fun.. I fell very ill the same day and I believe the violent vomiting is what made the catheter fell out the next day.

2nd time, a week later it was back so I had the procedure done again, all went well but the catheter deflated and fell out the same day. I was gutted.

3rd time, a month later it came back and I got the catheter again. This time they added 4 extra stitches like a mini marsup to help keep the catheter in and also as a back up in case it did fall out. So far so good, it’s still in and I can feel the cyst cavity has shrunk to the size of the catheter head and it’s all drained. Feeling positive overall but I’m not out of the woods yet as I need it to stay in another 3 weeks at least!

What I’m wanting to know is whether anyone had one that stayed in the full 4/5 weeks and if it solved their issues permanently. Did the hole stay open, can you see it, is there still drainage months/years later? Also if it changed their sex life (good or bad)
I’ve struggled with dryness for years since the cyst first came so hopefully that issue will be resolved
Also has your discharge changed? I’ve had thick gloopy mucousy discharge, tested for everything and I’m good, I don’t know if it was from the cyst or not but I haven’t had any since having it drained

A few years ago, I (33F) took Lexapro for two weeks and gained 20lbs. The most weight I’d ever gained in a short amount of time was 15lbs of muscle over a few months. My (male) doctor at the time told me weight gain from Lexapro wasn’t possible because it didn’t contain calories. I have been skinny my whole life and could eat whatever I wanted and not gain weight. But now, thanks to my severe depression, I can’t work, feed or take care of myself. I only eat one meal a day or every other day (only because my mom lets me use her DoorDash). My mom also had to quit her job last year for a bit to take care of me by feeding me healthy meals three times a day but I still gained weight. Are my hormones too far gone? Because I barely eat but I went from 135 to 210lbs in a few years and I can’t stop gaining weight. Is there a medication that will “unmix” my hormones? And has anyone else experienced this?

Hi everyone.

F 22. Over the past 8 months I have been experiencing some weird symptoms with my Menstrual cycle. In October last year I had (what I believe to be) was an ovarian cyst rupture. I was in excruciating abdominal pain and could not move for about an hour - finally meds kicked and it the pain was bearable, but for the next few days my back and stomach/ovaries were in so much pain and I was extremely bloated. About a week ago, this happened again - but this time it was right before my period began (the first time it was during my ovulation phase). Then I had a very heavy period which was longer than normal (7 days and then a couple days of spotting) and bad cramps - but survived. Now, I just started my ovulation phase, I woke up this morning feeling off, and just went to the bathroom and I am bleeding again - equivalent to a day 5 or 6 flow.

I am worried about fertile and truly what this means overall. Is this a OBGYN thing? Has anyone experienced anything similar?

Context is that I missed my period for 3-4 months and then I started bleeding a little last month and thought nothing of it.

However today, should be day 2 of period, I have been bleeding so excessively (overnight pads lasted 1-2 hours) and I just passed 2 massive blood clots and was wondering if this is normal in any way?? Is it possible that i have two months of uterine lining shedding today??? It’s just so much blood and I’ve always had heavy but never this heavy!

I’d like to add that during my missing months I’ve had intense abdominal cramps which I’ve been taking either hyoscine butylbromide or odansestron for

Does anyone know what’s going on?????

Hey hey girlies!!
I have been masturbating for quite some time now.
I started to notice that I sometimes have some stomach cramps right after.

I sometimes also have some spotting after I masturbated. I do take the pill so could that have anything to do with it?

Is this normal or should I call my gynaecologist to check it out??

hey guys, ive been to the doctor ab this and all she did was shorten my break from 7 days to 4 days. i rarely experience a withdrawal bleed anymore when i take my pill. its really frustrating because it always leaves me panicking that im preg, or that my body just isn’t working.
does anyone have any advice or stories of the same thing happening to them? i am not getting a period while on the pill that is supposed to give me a period.

I recently got STD tested. My symptoms were fishy odor, and insane itching down there. I was absolutely sure I had something so I had a prescription sent to my pharmacy from like a third party doctor website. I’ve been taking antibiotics just incase.

I got my results back and they’re all negative. Do I just stop taking my antibiotics? I have two days left. The pharmacist said once I find out “which one it is” I can just stop taking the other antibiotics. Now that I know for sure it’s none of them, do I quit them all cold turkey?

How can I get my PH balance back on track?

TYIA

For the past 5 days I have been super itchy around my vulva and the entrance to my vagina. My discharge looks normal, and since it started I have quit wearing pantyliners/tight pants, and have been wearing cotton underwear, but it doesn’t seem to help. I tried using a different detergent, and no change either. I also don’t think I see any visible irritation? For a second yesterday I thought there may be some red spots, but I don’t really see them now. What could this be, and how do I fix it? I would really prefer to avoid having to get actual medical help.

(Btw I am in a monogamous relationship, and we typically use protection.)

Hi all,

I'm normally blessed by the period fairy and every 28 days I have a 36-48 hour, extremely light period. I normally use maybe 4 light/regular tampons, none needed when sleeping.

My period has arrived a week early and it's currently on day 3 (so much longer than normal) and I'm going through a super tampon every 2ish hours, leaking even when lying down, it's bright red (which is kinda normal for me) and honestly dripping out of me like a tap (faucet for my American friends?)

Other potentially important pieces of information:

- I had a surgical abortion in the beginning of May

- My next period at the end of May was completely normal (for me, light, lasted 2 days)

- The following period end of June was my last period and it was super light and disappeared before it had really arrived.

- Have not yet started taking birth control

Appreciate many women have heavier periods than this and that I'm typically lucky. But I'm just wondering when a rogue period is worth flagging to a doctor. Should I wait to see how it is next month? Or is it worth flagging if it continues like this for a few more days? Should I reach out to my abortion provider?

My research says it's typical to have a light period post surgical abortion followed by a ​heavier one, but should even out after 8ish weeks. I'm 12 weeks post procedure.

I presume I'm probably completely fine and nothing to worry about, but I just thought I should ask for opinions in case I'm brushing off something serious.