Could it be thrush

[Sam190406]

Hello,

about 3/4 wks ago i had unprotected sex with 2 men, separately. but within the space of a week. after sleeping with them both, i took the morning after pill within 72 hours. This is the 1st time ive ever taken it. I use condoms, but on these occasions, it just happened. Concerned having slept with 2 men, i went to the GUM clinic and got tested, i went 2 weeks ago and i understand that for obvious sti's (chlamidia etc) i wouldve known in a week. so at present as far as im aware, i am clear.  I understand for more detailed tests, such as HIV they will be back within another week.

I had my last day of my period 4 days ago, and since then ive had a very uncomfortable itch around my genital area. Ive had a look and there is no spots, or warts etc, but just a little swollen, and very itchy, sore, uncomfortable, also a thicker / stringy discharge - no smell. I have taken a capsule today for a yeast infection.  But am concerned it may not be thrush.

any ideas?

[Fuzzz]

It sounds like your pH was thrown off and you have some sort of infection.  If you had candida/yeast/thrush (all are names for a candidal infection, but thrush is of the mouth and throat) the discharge would be opaque white.  You could use OTC creams or Diflucan Rx for that.  

Another possibility is bacterial vaginosis.  But that's just one possibility.  I'm not sure if the GUM clinic would check for BV or not, and maybe you were checked before the bacteria got high enough to be detected.  

Women's pH is normally low, and men's is high, so sperm can cause an imbalance that makes the natural cleansing process less effective.  I recently had something out of whack after intercourse, and all I did was take cranberry pills for a week, and it seems to have cleared up.  I assume it helped lower my pH and get my body working right again.  Since you've already been checked by a clinic, I don't see why you couldn't try the same thing, unless you discover they did not check for BV and you want to have that checked first.  

This site explains BV.  

http://www.4woman.gov/faq/bacterial-vaginosis.cfm

[Sam190406]

thank you. i think you're right, ill have a look in a health shop for the cranberry pills?

[Amanda0922]

It could be yeast. It could be bacterial vaginosis. You might want to call the clinic and ask if you were tested for bv. Normally, when an obgyn sees that you have discharge that could be bv, they test for it. But at the same time, they probably would have told you if you had a yeast infection as well. Your best bet is probably to just go back and ask to be checked for bv and yeast. The symptoms of bv and yeast can be very similar and it may be hard to tell one from the other. You may not even have all the symptoms of bv. For instance, I was diagnosed with bv in September. I thought I had a yeast infection so I bought the cream for yeast. BAD idea. This resulted in the worst most painful itching I have ever experienced. I had no idea I had yeast because I did not have the "fishy" smell that is distinctive of bv. I just had a little discharge and a little itching. That's all. Last month I thought maybe I had bv again. So I went and got checked for it. I didn't have bv, but I did have a yeast infection lol. It's just hard to know one from the other. And if you haven't been taking any antibiotics or steroids, bv would be more likely, especially considering your recent unprotected sexual activities. They aren't really sure why bv exists and virgins get it too, but it is more common among sexually active women and apparently even more so in women with multiple partners. So while any woman (sexually active w/ multiple partners, married and monogamous, virgin etc.) can get bv, you are in the high risk category for it.

[coastal77]

I remember a doctor telling me that there is something called honeymoon-itis which is basically a slang name for an infection that you get from a new sex partner. He explained it by saying that it is your body getting used to new bacteria. YUCK! It definitely does not sound very romantic.
Maybe these little annoyances are just our bodie's way of telling us....to slow down and be in love first! Even though the honeymoonitis thing may still happen to us (hark* the name...) on our honeymoon! He said that our body will get used to a person eventually but when there are multiple partners, I am not sure what the remedy is but to be more selective....