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I’m scared I might have and STD? If not what is it?!
Hi I have been experiencing a few things concerning my vagina. Itchy, a very weird smell, white stuff on my clit, I have areas that burn when I wash them or wipe (around my labia, they are almost like someone has cut me with a knife because they are long and slim) and my ******* bleeds when I wipe after the toilet too. I’m just wondering what this might be? I have had yeast infections before but this feels different. I have a mirena and am on birth control too as I have endometriosis and adenomyosis. I am also 17 and sexually active. I have also had the mirena and been on the pill for over a year now.
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How long has this been happening?
It could be herpes - some people describe their sores as looking like paper cuts. They would definitely burn when you wash or wipe. Do they burn when urine hits them, too?
Have you seen a doctor? That's a must. Even if it isn't herpes, it for sure sounds like something that needs to be checked out. It could be an allergic reaction to something, or a variety of other things, but get to a doctor today if you can.
If they think it's herpes, make sure they do a type specific culture or PCR swab on it. They may say it's too late to do it, if the sores have started to heal, but ask them to do it anyway. If it comes back negative, you can get a type specific IgG blood test later. Don't let them do an IgM herpes blood test. It's unreliable and shouldn't be done on anyone but newborns.
Let us know what happens.
It could be herpes - some people describe their sores as looking like paper cuts. They would definitely burn when you wash or wipe. Do they burn when urine hits them, too?
Have you seen a doctor? That's a must. Even if it isn't herpes, it for sure sounds like something that needs to be checked out. It could be an allergic reaction to something, or a variety of other things, but get to a doctor today if you can.
If they think it's herpes, make sure they do a type specific culture or PCR swab on it. They may say it's too late to do it, if the sores have started to heal, but ask them to do it anyway. If it comes back negative, you can get a type specific IgG blood test later. Don't let them do an IgM herpes blood test. It's unreliable and shouldn't be done on anyone but newborns.
Let us know what happens.
12 Comments
This has been happening for about two months. In the beginning it was only the symptoms of a common yeast infection as I had been diagnosed with one and was on medication for it. After a few weeks the itchiness came back, (by this point I’m off the medication), the “cuts” had gotten painful to touch and then most recently the smell has come (it is not a normal yeast like smell either, but definitely not a healthy smell either!). I hadn’t had sex in this period either only before I had gotten the said yeast infection at the beginning. That was my third yeast infection in the span of 5 months too. I would love to go to the gp and get tested for anything and everything but it’s hard to access without my parents finding out. I just need to make a plan and it will happen.
Oh hon, you must be miserable by now. :(
How did you get the birth control without your parents knowing, or do they know?
I don't know where you live (and don't need to know), but laws about minors getting treated for STDs and parental consent vary from place to place. Google your location and "Can a minor get treated for an STD without parental consent?" and see what you find. If you have STD clinics, and most places do, call your local STD clinic, and ask them. (These are called different things in different countries - the US calls them STD clinics, the UK calls them GUM clinics, Australia calls them Sexual Health Centres, but if you google your location and STD clinics, you should still be able to find them.)
That said, I don't know what kind of information gets sent to your parents based on healthcare coverage. In the US, we have health insurance, for example, and if a minor uses it to pay for testing, even if they can get treatment without their parents knowing, their parents may still get a letter explaining that their health insurance benefits were used and what for.
So find out how it works where you are, and get checked soon. This may be just a really bad yeast infection or BV, or herpes, or both. You deserve to feel better.
Let us know what happens and what you find out.
How did you get the birth control without your parents knowing, or do they know?
I don't know where you live (and don't need to know), but laws about minors getting treated for STDs and parental consent vary from place to place. Google your location and "Can a minor get treated for an STD without parental consent?" and see what you find. If you have STD clinics, and most places do, call your local STD clinic, and ask them. (These are called different things in different countries - the US calls them STD clinics, the UK calls them GUM clinics, Australia calls them Sexual Health Centres, but if you google your location and STD clinics, you should still be able to find them.)
That said, I don't know what kind of information gets sent to your parents based on healthcare coverage. In the US, we have health insurance, for example, and if a minor uses it to pay for testing, even if they can get treatment without their parents knowing, their parents may still get a letter explaining that their health insurance benefits were used and what for.
So find out how it works where you are, and get checked soon. This may be just a really bad yeast infection or BV, or herpes, or both. You deserve to feel better.
Let us know what happens and what you find out.
My parents know I’m on the pill because that’s what’s helping my endo and basically stopping the growth of it. Because I just never take the “period stimulating” pills in the packet (my gyno has told me to do this). And the mirena basically stops it all together but he says to stay on the pill as well. Anyways that’s beside the point. I’ve booked a gp visit tomorrow but it is with a man that has no special interest in anything “female health” only men’s. But I will just get an std check for everything and I was even thinking of getting a Pap smear just because of the symptoms and being on contraception increases your chance of getting cervical cancer and I’d rather it be off my mind if I can get it done anyway. But also that tests for HPV so I’m open to do everything. If it isn’t an std then I can go to my normal doctors with my mum because she is very supportive of anything when I feel soemthing is wrong (except sex lol) and get whatever it is sorted! So I will be nervously waiting my results from tomorrow. Also I apparently will have to make another appointment to get my results anyway! Even if i don’t have an std! So I will try to convince them to tell me over the phone if I don’t have anything otherwise it’s hard for me to find a time when my mum doesn’t suspect me doing anything I shouldn’t be. I hope this makes sense and thank you so much for your answers!
Also concerning the health care card, I will ask them tomorrow how much it will be without using the card (this place is bulk billed) because I do think my parents can see my doctors visits too from their card sadly.
Also, I tried using my dildo today and it hurt alot so that is something new as well as the usual basic plain lube I use which has never ever caused any problems gave me the worst burning sensation. I’m putting this here just in case this rings a bell for anything in your mind
Thanks for the really detailed reply.
Hormonal contraception can increase the risk of cervical cancers, but far and away, most cervical cancers are caused by HPV.
I had endo, and suppressed my periods like you do. It really helped. (I ended up with a hysterectomy for endo and other reasons.)
Lots of places make you go in to get results - it's highly annoying.
Is the toy you used one that you insert or just use externally? Where did it hurt? Endo can cause painful penetration. If it hurt externally, I'm not surprised with what you have going on. It sounds miserable.
Let me know what the doctor says. I hope it goes well! :)
Hormonal contraception can increase the risk of cervical cancers, but far and away, most cervical cancers are caused by HPV.
I had endo, and suppressed my periods like you do. It really helped. (I ended up with a hysterectomy for endo and other reasons.)
Lots of places make you go in to get results - it's highly annoying.
Is the toy you used one that you insert or just use externally? Where did it hurt? Endo can cause painful penetration. If it hurt externally, I'm not surprised with what you have going on. It sounds miserable.
Let me know what the doctor says. I hope it goes well! :)
Could I ask how long you suppressed your periods for?
Also it was both internal and external pain. The doctor says it sounds like Bacterial vaginosis. I’m literally waiting to be rung by my doctor right now as I had a pee, blood and swan sample about three days ago. I hope he says there’s nothing there ahah
Also it was both internal and external pain. The doctor says it sounds like Bacterial vaginosis. I’m literally waiting to be rung by my doctor right now as I had a pee, blood and swan sample about three days ago. I hope he says there’s nothing there ahah
Got the results! Std free! Also no bacterial vaginosis! Doctor said I only have a yeast infection. Must just be a different strain of yeast than what I have had before. Very interesting though. Glad the stress is over ahah
Yay! I'm glad it's not anything more serious than a yeast infection, though yeast infections are no fun at all.
I suppressed my periods for years - I don't remember exactly how long, but it must have been 5-ish. I'd let myself have a period every 6 months or so. It was new at the time, and that's what the doctors thought was best. (I'm 50 now, and did it in my 20s). It took years for me to get diagnosed with endo - literally 15 years or so - even though I had all the symptoms. I went on the pill for really painful periods (I missed school, then work, it was so bad).
Not knowing that I had endo, I decided to go off the pill because there was all this talk at the time about giving your body a break. It allowed the endo to just flourish, and a few years later, things were so bad that I ended up with a hysterectomy. (I also had TONS of ovarian cysts that were rupturing, etc.)
Endo sucks, but the research has actually come a long way since I had it, even if that's hard to believe lol.
I suppressed my periods for years - I don't remember exactly how long, but it must have been 5-ish. I'd let myself have a period every 6 months or so. It was new at the time, and that's what the doctors thought was best. (I'm 50 now, and did it in my 20s). It took years for me to get diagnosed with endo - literally 15 years or so - even though I had all the symptoms. I went on the pill for really painful periods (I missed school, then work, it was so bad).
Not knowing that I had endo, I decided to go off the pill because there was all this talk at the time about giving your body a break. It allowed the endo to just flourish, and a few years later, things were so bad that I ended up with a hysterectomy. (I also had TONS of ovarian cysts that were rupturing, etc.)
Endo sucks, but the research has actually come a long way since I had it, even if that's hard to believe lol.
Wow I hope you feel much better now!! That sounds excruciating.
With all the contraceptive pills/ what you were on, did you get many yeast infections? Because I read they can make you more susceptible to them.
With all the contraceptive pills/ what you were on, did you get many yeast infections? Because I read they can make you more susceptible to them.
I'm so much better now, thanks :) Having a hysterectomy is a last-resort treatment decision, but I don't regret it at all.
I didn't get a lot of yeast infections. I got them when I took antibiotics (I still do), and is really common. Now I know to ask for treatment when I get the antibiotics, and it helps.
I think some women are more prone to yeast than others, and while certain things can cause them, we can't prevent all of them. We have probiotics now that can help, and know that things like antibiotics can cause them, so we can take steps to help prevent them.
Being a woman isn't easy sometimes.
I didn't get a lot of yeast infections. I got them when I took antibiotics (I still do), and is really common. Now I know to ask for treatment when I get the antibiotics, and it helps.
I think some women are more prone to yeast than others, and while certain things can cause them, we can't prevent all of them. We have probiotics now that can help, and know that things like antibiotics can cause them, so we can take steps to help prevent them.
Being a woman isn't easy sometimes.
Ok thank you so much for all the advice! Deeply appreciated x
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Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Millions of people are diagnosed with STDs in the U.S. each year.
STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
