lumps in vagina please help!

[lolacp]

Hi  Guys,

Im really scared,

Ive been seing my boyfriend since october andh ave been sexually active with him from that time but only on a weekend as it was long distance.

Around xmas time we saw each other alot more and were having sex all the time i notice it started to sting and be painful around my vaginal opening.

About two weeks later i was in the shower and i noticed a few fleshy bumps inside my vaginal opening.

My boyfriend was away on vacation for about two weeks and when he got back there was no pain to have sex, he then moved to my city and again out sexual activity has increased, sometimes i noticed that sex hurts and others not so much. its always in the opening of my vagina and after we have had sex alot.

Sometimes might i add im not always that lubricated and my boyfriend is a little inexperienced and can be a little over enthusiastic lets say.

So this morning I went to masterbate and just had a look inside my vagina and found that inside there were lots more little flesh coloured bumps that are smooth to touch and you can only see them if you open the vagina up a large amount.

Now i was worried about hpv (my boyfriend was tested for stis about 4 months prior to us getting together and was clear) I have only ever had unprotected sex with him although i have nto always been in angel and have done 'other things' with other people. I have a friend who is a doctor and he asked him just about hpv... he confidently said that if i had warts i would know about it as my boyfriend would have them on his penis so he doubts very much that i do.

So does anyone have any suggestions? im really scared i might have warts and dont knwo how to tell my boyfriend - but the pain only started after we;d been together two months!!

please help me!

Thanks x x

[HockeyShark]

Did you BF tell you he had been tested or did you actually see the results?

Get checked out. It's probably nothing and knowing will give you peace of mind.

[slow_healer]

Make an appointment with a doctor or a gynecologist and ask to have a Pap smear (this way they'll know to prepare for it). They'll have a look inside and will be able to tell you firsthand what your situation is (if it's an STD, a non-STD-related infection, or otherwise). If you've never had a Pap smear done, be prepared. It can be an uncomfortable procedure. They will ask you to lie on the medical table (with a nurse present) and have a direct look at your vagina. They may also use an instrument that holds you vagina open for a clear look inside. Then they will swab inside to test for any usual or infectious agents (bacteria, etc.). It's a standard test that, as a young woman sexually active or not, you should have done once a year. It also screens for different types of cancer.

Don't be scared about smelling weird or looking gross. Doctors do these exams every day. Bring in a small list of your concerns and ask the doctor if there's time to go over all your questions (a list helps you not to forget anything, as once you're in the doctor's office, it can make you quite nervous).

If I were you, I would tell your boyfriend that you feel like you might have an infection you want to get checked by a doctor (heck, even say a yeast infection - that's not scary), and hold off sex until you see the doctor. It might actually be nothing and pain could be something unrelated to the bumps (which might turn out to be perfectly normal - the vagina can be strange looking organ if you only get the occassional glimpse of it).

One other thought: If it were genital warts, I'm pretty sure they'd show up on the outside of your vagina (not inside). As a woman becoming sexually active makes your vagina even more complicated to maintain and keep happy, so don't spare it the attention it needs. Don't be afraid to go get checked out and make sure everything is in working order. Good luck!