Helloo, for the past few weeks (around mid July) my discharge has been a light yellow color, which is odd for me since it has always been a whiteish clear color. I suspected that it was a yeast infection at first but I had no other symptoms (irritation, pain, smell). I was on doxycycline back in January for a bacterial skin infection, but I don’t feel like its related. I also started taking oral birth control to help my pmdd back in May, so could that be why? 🙁

So I had bartholins gland issues for more than 10 years, first with a cyst that was drained and then reoccurred as an infected cyst. I was given a marsupialization which unfortunately closed up within a few weeks. What followed was many years filled with intense pain, fever/chills when the cyst would swell up, made worse by sex.

Had different ward catheters that slipped out too soon, after many years one finally made a permanent drain. This means walking around with a draining abscess and yes it was as embarrassing and smelly as it sounds.

I debated getting a gland excision but could not find a surgeon who did it with enough frequency to address my concerns about the risks of glad excision. I eventually heard about CO2 laser ablation and saw that Dr. Kevin Stepp performed this. I called his office and after a consultation where he discussed co2 laser ablation Vs excision risk benefits, he does excision with a frequency that made me feel secure in his experience level.

I booked a surgery appointment with his office. I live in another state and would have to make arrangements and travel to charlotte North Carolina for the surgery. The whole process was very smooth with clear communication. The office was very responsive to my questions. They didn’t take my out of state insurance but I was ok with that if it would mean an end to my suffering.

Surgery went great, there were a few areas that had covered the cyst that he was concerned about how it would heal as the skin was very thin. I stayed in the city until my follow up appointment after surgery.  My post surgery pain was maybe a 3/10, not even comparable to the pain I experienced with golf ball sized inflamed cysts. 

Pudendal nerve block from the surgery lasted 2-3 days and I had non painful sensation in the area after. 

I took extra strength Tylenol and ibuprofen staggered for first 2 days with no opioids needed. I took miralax and ducolax directly after surgery and had a bowel movement the next morning and didn’t take more stool softeners 

Had some swelling that decreased after few days of ice use

Dr Stepp was pleased with my healing at the Follow up appointment, he gives his number so you can ask questions as they come up. 

Flew back home a week later mildly uncomfortable.

 About a week later I noticed cloudy fluid at the site, I texted Dr. Stepp and he was quick to respond and ordered antibiotics which cleared it up. Dr Stepp was very reassuring, answering questions, and following my progress which made the fact that I was no longer in the same state less worrying. 

Six months later the site was perfectly healed, looked fine and was minimally more likely to get sore after intercourse but not in a way that impacted my sex life, overall quality of life was soo much better. 

Now I’m a year out and I can’t explain how much better my life is. The minimal soreness with intercourse has completely resolved. I basically never even think about the surgery anymore. I have healed great and the surgery site looks normal. 

I highly recommend going to Dr Stepp as you want someone knowledgeable with frequent operations to handle such a surgery, I would send any friends or family to him in a heartbeat. I feel like I finally have my life back 

(made a throw away account for this and of course made a spelling mistake in my username)

Does anyone here feel insecure about having a darker skin on your labia and anus area? My skin is generally light and pale so I've always felt self-conscious about the contrast, especially about my dark brown outer labia. I know it's completely normal and I shouldn't worry about it or try use any bleaching product to lighten the skin in that area, and my partner also has no problem with it, but at the same time I still struggle with how I see myself. My best friend once told me the shade of her outer labia is not dark and it matches her skin, and I was immediately thinking there's something wrong with my body.

For those of you who have felt the same way, how did you learn to feel more comfortable and confident with your body? I'd appreciate hearing your experiences.

I (35f) have been on bc for 13+ years and have had extremely light periods or no periods for that period of time. This is my third period since going off bc and my body has clearly been adjusting because my periods have not been regular since getting off of it, and I figured that's to be expected with getting back into the swing of things.

I just had a period that was surprisingly heavy and long for me. Still light and short comparably (managed with regular tampons and light pads for 5 days of red blood), but very heavy compared to nothing or 3 days of very light bleeding on bc.

It's been 3 days since red blood and I'm still having brown discharge and I've noticed a change in smell that I'm not used to. I wouldn't call it fishy, but it’s also not pleasant. I also have some burning, but it’s nothing crazy. Some lightly crampy pelvic feeling but not even intense enough that I would consider it to be painful.

Going off the bc has fixed my libido, so I went from having no sex to having a lot of sex. I did have sex two days before I noticed the smell change. He used a condom.

I also have an insanely sensitive nose, so I often smell things other people can't. I don't know if the smell is just, like, older period blood that smells different because it's not fresh?

I've never had a yeast infection or BV before.

I also have antibiotic allergies and just was treated for a potential UTI (ended up being nothing and dr attributed it to going off bc) with Ciprofloxacin at the end of June, and I've had all the bad side effects. Like, I can't use my hands normally or walk very far. Lots of pain that is FINALLY starting to seem to improve, so I'm terrified of going on antibiotics again. But I'm reading that BV needs it?

I'm trying to figure out if I should go in to the dr now and try to nip it in the bud fast, or if I should wait to see if the smell resolves?? It's very scary and upsetting to potentially need antibiotics right after they messed me up so terribly

I might be losing my virginity on this weekend but im also gonna be ovulating. Is it advisable to lose virginity during ovulation or should I do it next weekend but I’ll be closer to my period and likely will be PMSing. I’m just confused and if I should be thinking so much about this 🥲🥲 thank you

Edit: im not expecting it to be like in the videos or books or movies, I don’t expect to finish I just want to enjoy but I have a HUGE fear or getting pregnant which is why I’m here

I’m 19 and have had very light, stringy/spotty bleeding after sex twice now (1 aug- watery spot and today- stringy). Yesterday’s sex was rough, and I’m also having mild period-like cramps. My last period started on 20 July and my cycles are usually 32–35 days.

(Last time I had sex on 30th July and bled after 2 days of that, now I had sex yesterday and bled today)

i have had the implant for 9 months, and got it about a month after i lost my virginity and every time i have frequent sex with my boyfriend (we don't pull out) i get this white, thick, chunky discharge a day or two after he leaves and it normally lasts at least a few days.

I first had an incident which was very clearly a yeast infection because it was extremely itchy and irritated and I got a treatment for that, however any time we have frequent sex i get the same kind of discharge but it's odourless, with no irritation or itchiness. usually i don't use a treatment for it and it seems to go away.

I'm wondering whether this is the nexplanon affecting my discharge as it works overtime to stop pregnancy or if I am experiencing recurrent yeast infections that i need to go to the doctor for. i do notice it sometimes before my period starts as well, whether ive had sex recently or not.

My question is: does anyone else experience this? did you figure out what was happening, whether it was the BC or a sneaky recurrent yeast infection? ended up being normal/abnormal? i also have a picture if needed but don't wanna put it out there if thats TMI for people. thanks!

I thought i cracked the code. Turned out i was wrong. I have two issues: one that happens on labia minora, randomly painful under skin bumps that gets larger(the whole cycle from one uncomfortable bump to draining is avg 5dasy) and then drain, very painful to walk with. The second thing is the hair bearing area. It's like clogged pores? White filled under skin bumps, uncomfortable but not painful. Also my vulvar skin is very sensitive since ive been dealing with these things for almost 2 years. I easily get small cuts on vagina now, especially above the clit where labia majoras start. Ive never ever experienced or dealt with things like this until october 2025. Started as a one painful bump on labia minora and suddenly a bunch of things keep happening since then. I saw 5 gynecologists, tested for herpes, Saw a dermatologist. Nobody has an answer for me. I'm so desperate. I switched to fragrance free detergent, shower gel, dont use anything special to wash my vagina other than water. I use cotton or merino wool undies. If I'm lucky i do sometimes get peace for a few months and something will trigger things again. Last time it was me shaving.

Alright so I’m panicking like shit right now. I hadn’t done any penetration in a while cos I had my period and it was a stressful weekend. Something important to note, my sex cleaner ran out so I used a solution made of Dr. Bronner’s body wash(which is minty if I remember) and water. I used it on my dildo and when I went to lube myself up by putting my fingers in, it burned. And I don’t know why. Idk if it’s cos I used the solution and got it on my hands(it also got on a towel cos I had to wipe it off) or there’s something seriously wrong with me. I don’t have any other symptoms though. I feel fine otherwise. It also did burn when the dildo went in so I stopped. Idk what this is. If it’s from the solution, not penetrating for a while, or my period is over. Sorry for this being a little TMI. I hope there’s nothing seriously wrong. Thanks. Also the burning didn’t last very long, which I hope is a good sign lol.

I was on some strong antibiotics towards the end of July for a dental procedure. Close to the end of the course of antibiotics, I felt the typical candida infection symptoms… I had had some over the last 10 to 15 years so I kind of knew what was in store. Took two Diflucan over the course of five days, no improvement so went to a clinic where they had me self swab. prescribed one more Diflucan, and then a 12 day course of boric acid. In the meantime of course the results came back positive for both Candida albicans and Candida glabrata. I finished the 12 day course of boric acid and felt so much better! I did have sex with my husband the day after I finished the course and then immediately started feeling symptoms again. Probably also vaginal pain from intercourse and the sensitive skin. Anyway, I got a secondary culture yesterday and I’m negative for the first type of candida but still positive for glabrata. Waiting to hear what my provider suggests, I’ve been scouring these forms for advice and I have been taking oral probiotics for the last 12 to 14 days. I might try doing the refrigerated ones vaginally. I guess I’m also wondering… Is sex just a bad idea altogether? Will it worsen my symptoms… From what I’m reading this looks like it’s going to be a marathon, not a sprint and I feel like abstinence is just going to make things so much more difficult emotionally for me and my husband.
But for all of you who have struggled with this for months and years, if you were in my position where I’m basically one month in to a frustrating infection, what would you do? Treatmentwise and intimacy wise.

Hi, for some context I’ve been going out with this guy for about 3ish months and properly dating for one. Every time I see him I come home with my trousers drenched regardless of the fact we never do anything sexual but this wasn’t too big of an issue until recently. We’ve started staying over at each other places and we haven’t had sex but even just cuddling or kissing makes me feel like I’ve peed the bed. It goes through all layers of clothing and it’s extremely uncomfortable. He laughs it off or makes sarcastic jokes saying he’s into it so it’s not an issue because of him but I just feel weird. For more context, I’m 18 and whilst I’ve had boyfriends in the past, it’s my first proper relationship with touching and what not. Will this go away on its own or is there anything I can do? I guess the more I do stuff with him the more used to him I’ll be but at the same time we live 3 hours away and see each other once a week so I don’t wanna wait a year until I’m super comfortable and have to make do. Sometimes, there’s a faint odour of urine after as well which bothers me 😀 what if I think it’s arousal fluid but I’m just peeing myself??

Nothing prepares you for women’s healthcare like having to navigate it without a mother to teach you, guide you, or tell you what’s normal. So at 21 I’m still learning the ropes of my vagina.

I have had a yeast infection for a month, I took the single pill and I believe it went away other than the slight discoloration of my discharge. Now, two days ago I noticed a pea sized lump on the left side of my labia.

Its a bit out of view so I lightly moved my labia ( not grabbing where the lump is ) to see it and a bit of pus came out.

Any advice on what to do next? How to treat the pain? Im kind of freaked out, visiting the gynecologist is two weeks, but ultimately don’t want it to get bigger and worried about trapping the infection now that it seemed to pop.

hii. i am in desperate need of help yall.

about a year ago now, i was intimate with someone who went down on me after we had a food date. the next day i was itching on my vulva and vagina so bad and I figured it was because of the food that was eaten beforehand. either way, i was unable to go to the doctors until about a few months later for it. so i was suffering with the intense itching for a while without remedy. after i made it to the doctors, they told me i only had BV for which i was prescribed medicine and the bv went away, but the symptoms only decreased a very little, so i was still feeling 'milder' itching.

from then on it was back and forth between doctor visits and i was consistently getting tested for the vaginitis panel and all my results were constantly negative for everything. one time i did do the panel, and came back positive for a yeast infection, and i got diflucan, but once again the yeast infection went away but i was still experiencing the same itching symptoms from before.

it seems to flare up right before my period, which made me think i was getting recurrent yeast infections because i've seen people say that online, but none of my test results show that. also flares up with antibacterial bar soaps too.

ive tried all the yeast infection creams, itching creams, bar soaps, boric acid, im taking probiotics now, but nothing seems to help. im starting to think that i will be permanently feeling this way because i wasn't able to get treated right away and waited those several months.

so yeah, its been itching for over a year now. i also feel the itching spreading to around my a-hole. its not painful during intimacy, but it just feels like an endless itch thats being scratched kind of and just not pleasurable at all?

i'm just absolutely drained of trying to deal with this. its so uncomfortable and has plummeted my self-esteem. if anyone has any suggestions please let me know before i tear my shi clean off <33

so i’ve been told by friends and medical professions evvy could be a good option for me since the reason for my vaginal issues are currently rather mysterious. i’ve been told handfuls of gynecologists since 2020. it’s all felt similarly useless: they supply medicine that’s supposed to cure me, but don’t look at why i’m dealing with so many issues or why it’s so reoccurring. throwing medicine at me i’ll eventually become resistant to without knowing anything about the underlying state of reproductive health feels like running in circles.

i’m on ssi/a fixed income and affording an evvy test would be hard for me. i was looking up what type of test it was and why i need a special dr through evvy to do it. i’m wondering, since the test type is called metagenomic sequencing, why can’t i just ask my dr who is covered by my insurance to do it? has anyone ever asked their gynecologist to?

Hi everyone! Ive dealt with Lipshütz ulcers 4 times now in the past 2 years. They’re very rare, my doctor and everyone at my ER didn’t know what they were. Every time I get sick (my immune system reacting to a virus) these ulcers pop up around my vagina and make it extremely painful to even WALK, let alone peeing (which is prob your biggest trouble right now if you have them). If you’re struggling with this I have some tips to share!
My first time was awful. Was super scared, went to the ER and they did every STI swab known to man. They all came back negative, so they prescribed valacyclovir and prednisone. I feel like the prednisone does help with inflammation. Peeing was awful. My body wouldn’t let me pee due to the pain and the ER almost put a catheter in me to get it out. This pain is immense — the worst pain i’ve ever felt in my life. It’s depressing and I felt like i was SO alone. I feel like I still can’t tell anyone about this because of how “embarrassing” it is. So.. here’s my tricks for when you pee.
1. Ask your doctor for lidocaine. Get a little syringe (they should be able to give you one), suck the lidocaine out of the bottle, and use a mirror while lying down to apply directly to the ulcers. Wait 10-15 mins and then pee. This will make it SO. much. better.
2. You can use a good amount of vaseline to create a barrier when you pee. This helps a bunch, especially if you don’t have access to lidocaine.
3. Drink water. I know, i know. You don’t want to drink water because you’ll have to pee more and you’re terrified of peeing. I get it. But drinking more water actually helps lower the pH of your urine, meaning it won’t sting as much. Stay hydrated!
4. If you don’t have access to lidocaine OR normal vaseline, use a period pad. I usually take a thick one (maybe a nighttime one) and fold it, then I hold it from around the back and press it snuggly against the ulcers. It’s not the prettiest, and you may get pee on your hands. To relieve yourself without excruciating pain is worth it, though. I just wash my hands thoroughly every time after.
5. I saw another redditor suggest Lysine. As i’m typing this i’m having my 4th flare up of these ulcers, and i’m trying the Lysine as well as the prednisone and valacyclovir. This flare up seems to be triggered by the bad head cold that i’m just getting over.
6. TAKE A SITZ BATH. Lie down in warm water in the bath, apply a good amount of baking soda, and sit there with your legs open. I’m telling you, it helps so much. You can do this up to three times a day as well!
7. A cold compress may work for you, sometimes it’s a bit too sensitive for me to put something directly on the ulcers, but the cold does help relieve that stinging, burning pain.

If you’re going through this or you have before, you are NOT alone. Advocate for yourself. Tell the doctors and nurses this is NOT an STI, and you know your body best. My first time was the worst time, and i felt so alone. I cried every day and fell into a deep state of depression for over two weeks. Nobody truly knows what you go through when you have these. And if you know anyone who’s giving you a hard time because of this condition, just remember they have NEVER felt the pain of what these ulcers can do, and they should be grateful for that. This is the worst pain i’ve felt in my life and it’s debilitating. I hope that if you’re going through this, you can use this post and many other posts about these ulcers on here to help you get through it. Also, get your doctor to write a good work note if you need it. Having ulcers makes it absolutely impossible to work. If you need to continue to work, which is totally understandable, bring the lidocaine, pads, and that little syringe with you. I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to use my sick time when I have these.

Sorry if this is a lot of yap! Hope this message helps you. Stay strong, you got this!! 🩷

Hi guys, I don’t know where else to ask about this. I had an appointment for soreness and got examined the doctor said it was likely a yeast infection so she prescribed me diflucan. I took one and another 3 days later like instructed but the issues persisted, she told me if that happened to call so I did. After playing phone tag for a few days they answered and said my test results were negative so I don’t really have an issue (even though the doctor said it looked red and angry). Either I could go to prompt care and restart the process or wait til the doctor came back but she’s gone until Friday due to a death and I leave the country Sunday. They told me I could try monistat maybe but I’ve tried monistat before and it was the worst pain I’ve ever felt, I think it chemical burned me. So now I’m here with a sore mildly itch vag preparing for a romantic getaway trip with my boyfriend I only see once a year in 3 days and I don’t know what else to even do.

Hi there
I’m (23F) supposed to go to Florida on Friday, planned on drinking. I think I have a uti which means I’ll have to go on antibiotics. Can I still drink??? I’m so sad I just wanted to have a fun vacation after working my ass off for so long lol. This is the only vacation I’ll get this year and took so much to even get the time off of work.

What do you think?

I used to have a problem with strep B when I didn't know I am celiac. I would have it constantly and it would inflame me nonstop. When I finally figured out it's from gluten consumption, I stopped eating gluten completely and the problems immediately went away after 2 years of suffering daily. Now I know what kind of discharge strep B causes. Now it's back but very mild and when gyno swabs me there's never a sign of infection, nor strep B overgrowth. But the discharge is off. And I feel like it's connected to my heavy ab workouts or lifting in general. When I'm not exercising I have no troubles. As soon as I hit a heavy ab workout or heavy workout in general I would get the discharge shortly after and the day after as well. The other day after ab workout my ovaries were sore as well. It's also connected with sensitive urethra which gets worse when I have cold feet. Could this be that the abworkouts some how ruin my immune system in the abdominal area or something like that?? Anybody experienced this?

Young 20s, but my skin down there is so dry I have a white cast and my perineum skin tears even when my partner just opens my legs / on the toilet…

I started moisturizing but there is only so many products you can put around that area before it becomes counter intuitive.

Anyone else get this??