Help Please!

hey i'm a 16 year old teenage girl and i have an important question, that has been bugging me for the longest.

well about three weeks ago I've been noticing that i use the bathroom more often than usual. Yes, to do #2. Well every time i would think i have to stool it would only be gas, but when i did go my stool would come out with mucus. Of course i thought it was just a one time thing and that it would go away on it's own. Unfortunately, it's gotten progressively worse. Most of the time i use the bathroom it would be just mucus, no stool in sight.

can this be symptoms of cancer? or even HIV?

[Ratnakar Kini, MD]

Hi,
Colon cancer is less likely at 16 years of age.
It could be due to infectious colitis or irritable bowel syndrome ( though the duration is less to call it IBS).
Stool test and colonoscopy may be done for evaluation.