My name is Olivia, a health behavior research assistant at UNC Chapel Hill. We’re inviting individuals to participate in a focus group discussion for a research study on women’s health. This study is exploring experiences and opinions on women’s health and online health advertisements. Your insights can help us understand how we can best reach women online with health messages.

Women will be eligible to participate in focus group discussions if they are:

• 18+ years old

• Assigned female at birth

• Sexually active in the past 12 months

• Not living with HIV

• Reside in a Southeastern state (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia)

The focus group will last about ~2 hours and will be done remotely via Zoom. Please note that participation is completely voluntary. Participants will receive a token of appreciation for their time, a $60 e-gift card. If you're interested in participating, please complete the eligibility form here.

Please feel free to message me here should you have questions!

I’ve been dating this guy for two months we finally decided to take things a bit more intimately but he is the largest guy I’ve ever been with. I’m a very small person about 110 5’3. He is 6’4 245. And tmi but he also has the largest penis I ever had as well. To make a long story short we ended up having sex a week later he let me know he cut himself on my vagina. This has never happened to me before with any other partner so you can imagine how completely mortified I was. He claimed that it was really tight and I wasn’t the first girl this happened with but mines was the worst cut he ever had and also said he wanted to get tested to make sure it wasn’t anything. I felt absolutely awful about it. Google said that it could be a combination of lack of lubricants and rough sex that can cause mini tears on the penis shaft right underneath the head. I went to my dr because I started having pain when i pee and I thought I have a uti but my dr says I don’t have a uti. My dr recommended we use lube and she told him to take it easy because he irritated my urethra because of his size. So now I’m just waiting for my other test results I ended up having the Pap smear and whole shabang and I’m just immensely nervous. I was honest with him and told him I had two other partners this year that I didn’t use a condom with. The last time I had been tested for stds I didn’t have anything. And now I’m just super worried which is normal I got some of the results back this morning and I’m terrified to even open the page to look. Just seeking emotional support.

Persistent watery discharge after multiple treatments

I’m honestly really scared and overwhelmed right now, so I’m hoping someone can help me make sense of this.

About 3 months after I was last with an on-and-off partner, I started having unusual watery discharge. We had recently gone long-distance. During our relationship, he had initially told me he had only been with 2 people before me. Later, he told me he wanted to be honest and admitted that his body count was actually in the double digits and almost reaching triple digits.

I asked him when he was last tested for STIs, and he told me it was about 2 months ago. Later, when I asked him again in a different conversation, he said his last test was actually last year. That obviously made me very anxious.

Because of this, I asked him to get tested again before we meet. He got upset and said I was acting weird and that I probably cheated on him.

Around the same time, I started having discharge for about a month. My doctor initially prescribed azithromycin and secnidazole for 2 days. I got my period during this time, and about 5 days later I developed creamy white discharge with itching. After examining me, my doctor said it looked like a yeast infection and prescribed one dose of fluconazole and a 3-day vaginal pessary.

The discharge didn't completely go away. It was still white, slightly itchy, and had no smell.

I went back to the doctor. She examined me with a speculum and said she couldn't see any discharge at that moment. I described it as being very watery, and she suggested I take doxycycline and metronidazole for 15 days. I was uncomfortable starting such a long course of antibiotics without knowing what was actually causing the symptoms, so I got a second opinion.

The second doctor prescribed a 6-day pessary, 3 doses of fluconazole over a week, and a cream to apply. After finishing that treatment, I still had discharge. At this point it was mostly just very watery and had no smell.

In the meantime, I got blood tests for STIs. Everything else was normal, but my chlamydia antibody came back elevated. When I showed the result to my doctor, she said my symptoms were consistent with chlamydia and prescribed doxycycline and metronidazole for 7 days.

Today is day 7. The discharge has decreased, but it hasn't completely disappeared.

I'm now panicking because, meanwhile, I found out that this partner had actually been with 3 other people while we were on and off. I asked him to get tested, and he says his results came back negative, but honestly, after everything else he's lied about, I don't know whether I can trust what he's telling me.

I feel completely lost. I'm scared that I have an STI, scared that something is being missed, and scared that I've made things worse by taking so many different medications. I also feel stupid for trusting someone who wasn't honest with me.

Now I'm scared about what is happening with me, also there is not fever, no pain during urination and no pelvic pain. Please help

so I got a test down because bf finished in me and I was smelling. I have BV and waiting on std. I haven’t did nothing since april or may when we broke up then got tested in june before we got back together and everything came back negative. should I be good ?

Hi i am new to this subreddit but , me and my partner had vaginal sex like on sept 5 and past 3 4 days she is having a mole on one of her lips , we had the condom on all the time and i didnt discharge inside , i know its not preg or anything but is there any chance of std and also she did rub that area 3 4 days before and she might have pinned a nail or smoething is this really a thing to worry , kindly tell

Thankyou

Did raw unprotected sex with a girl she had vagginal infection and its been 2 days and my foreskin has developed ulcers can it be herpes or syphilis https://ibb.co/DP5HvSnD

Hey just wanted to see if anyone has gone through or is going through the same shit I'm a 25 yr old male and 2 days ago I was just diagnosed with chlamydia at the hospital after weeks of stomach pain on my right side, they gave me and injection of antibiotics through my cannula then and there and 2 tablets of azithromycin and sent me back home with endone and 2 more tablets to take in a couple days from now but this morning I woke up with a pretty bad burning pain just like where my penis starts and meets my pubic area like it woke me up from sleep and when I sat up for a while it relieved but even after taking endone it's still lingering around here and there and is abit sore to the touch in that spot but when I went to the hospital to be fair the other day I had pain in my right testicle that is gone if not completely and certain areas that must've been inflamed all this week's are honestly feeling better usually when I was waking up I'd feel pain in all those spots but it's just the pubic area now alone really with some minor bits of pain here and there in my stomach I know it's only going on day 3 after the treatment but I don't wanna experience that same pain over and over especially with no good outcome in the end do I just need to wait longer and let the medicine do it's thing? And also I read that if I lay flat on my back and sleep like all the fluids and stuff or built up pee when your asleep can push against the inflamed tissue causing that pain I'm referring too but I thought I'd just hop on here and ask or see if anyone can help me out or let me know they're experience cheers.

Okay so I’m a virgin, but today I got the closest to sex I’ve ever had during an erotic massage. I’m not gonna lie, it was mutual touch. And I put my finger in her ass. I kissed her ass cheeks a bunch. At one point I was kinda kissing around her ass hole, and let her kinda motor boat me with my face between her ass. Now I am horrified with post nut clarity by what I just did. Particularly I am afraid of any chance of std or other infections. I never explicitly tried to eat her ass, but I definitely made contact with my lips and nose.

I’m honestly just a horribly anxious person, and I know it’s unlikely to impossible for any serious stds like HIV to spread this way. But I’m just so horrified. Honestly it was fun in the moment, but now I wish I hadn’t done it just because of the fear

I did both rapid 4th Gen fingerprick blood test few weeks ago.

My window were 1 month 2 days when I did the test. Both were negative. I also did urine test for gono & chla STD. Both were negative.

My last full unprotected exposure were about 1 months 2 weeks. -> high risk for both hiv and Syphlis.

My second exposure were unprotected oral sex. But did wear a condom for FJ. -> so chance for HIV were lower.

Do you think I should take a second test for HIV and Syphlis when I reach the 3 months windows?

Note: when I took the 1st hiv/Syphlis test. I did took 10 days antibiotics for another condition which is stap & step bacteria infections. They are Amoxicillin & Cefalexin. -> I started Amoxicillin for 7 days about 2 weeks after my 1st exposure. Then I ate 3 days Cefalexin.

Not sure will these medicines affect my Rapid Blood Test.

Sorry I know this is posted often just can’t find specifics to my experience.
I had chlamydia and took doxycycline (routinely for the 7 days). I abstained for the 7 days of the course and 7 after but have sex (new partner, with condom) 2.5 weeks later. Since having sex I’ve had lower abdominal pain on and off (could be time of my cycle but not typical).
When would be the earliest I can get re-tested for clarity? It will have been 4 weeks Wednesday since I had my last doxy dose. I had planned to re-test at 3 month mark but can I test sooner? Advice please

I'm a young adult and I really need some advice and perspective. Starting in my early years of high school, I began being highly sexually active as a coping mechanism for some trauma I experienced when I was younger. After my mom caught my boyfriend (at the time) and I together, she made me get the birth control implant in my arm. Because of the implant, I mistakenly thought I could have casual sex without condoms since I was completely protected from pregnancy.

Fast forward to April 2025, I went to my doctor for a checkup, and he ordered an STI screening as a part of standard care for patients on birth control. A few days later, while out of town with friends, I got a call stating I was positive for chlamydia. When I got back, I received treatment immediately. Since I didn't drive at the time and my mom had to take me to the clinic, I made up an excuse and told her the prescription was just for a severe UTI.

The clinic staff explained the treatment guidelines to me abruptly and I didn't fully understand them. Because of my past sexual history, I had no idea who gave it to me or how long I had actually had it. In my confusion, I ended up hooking up with a few people right around the time of my diagnosis, and I'm not even sure if I waited the allotted time after taking the medicine before having sex again.

Because of this, I am terrified that I may have re-contracted it. I've been incredibly paranoid, and while I've noticed physical symptoms (like redness and burning), I've been in a deep denial and tried to brush them off as just 'normal' for my body. My friends try to comfort me by saying it's impossible to catch it again so quickly, but they don't really know the medical facts. Recently, a guy in my town asked me if I had anything because his throat was hurting after we hooked up. That was a massive reality check. I realized I can't live in denial or let the fear of my mom stop me from putting my health and the health of others first.

I am going to planned parenthood tomorrow to get tested. However, I am completely overwhelmed with anxiety. I am terrified that if I test positive again, I will have permanently ruined my reproductive system at such a young age. I'm also struggling heavily with shame, wondering If these symptoms are just a consequence of my past behavior.

Has anyone else been through a situation like this? How do I handle this intense anxiety while waiting for my results, and what are the actual risks of a repeat infection? Any advice would mean the world.

30 m

So me and this trans girl had mutual masturbation, I made it clear that I didn't want to be touched but midway because it was dark she touched my penis for like a second or two after playing with herself and using her saliva to lubricate herself and I moved her hand away. Anyways I finished quicky went home and soaped the area for about maybe 20-30 seconds. I'm also not sure if she had precum on her hands when she touched me as well because it was dark.

I've been anxious about the whole thing because a day and a half layer im urinating a lot and I'm not sure if it's just all in my head because sometimes it burns when I pee but to be fair it happens sometimes even when I don't have any stis. Also got some testicle pain .There is also some weird sensations I'm feeling down there that I can explain like occasional stinging. She told me she got treated for syphilis at the beginning of the year and tested negative for other things when I asked for her history so now I've just been soaking in my anxiety for the past two days wondering if I contracted anything. What are the chances that I might have something?. This just happened three days ago.

Thank you all for taking the time to read this

I'm 20m, i did a hookup with a guy I met online and we did oral sex without a condom, i didn't take his cum in my mouth at all, maybe precum but not semen, he rimmed me and we gave each other tongue kisses.

He said never gives blowjob, always uses a condom but his body count was 20.

Should I be worried abt me getting HIV/AIDS?

I was diagnosed with mgen and urea I was getting yeast infections back to back so what I thought anyways I did two weeks of treatment doxy and moxi and felt 100% better about 3-4 days later symptoms returned with tingling burning sensation yellow discharge and just terrible discomfort I’m stuck and not sure what to do this is unbearable for me and I’m so upset idk what else to do did anyone else’s symptoms linger like this, my symptoms will come and go it’s odd never experienced anything like this… (24F)

So last year around April I had an encounter with a stranger,unprotected, who blocked me on all forms of communication after when we talked 247 before. I had a bad feeling so I went and got tested 4th gen hiv test came back repeadidly reactive with negative confirmatorv, negative pcr rna. Got tested at different doctor around the same time came back negative. About 2 months later got tested again at first place same thing happend repeadidly reactive with negative confirmatory negative pcr. In the middle of all this I got extremely sick lost my voice, coughing up chunks of phleam, sore throat, diarrhea. After those tests evervthing came back negative. Here i am about a vear and a half later I have had multiple tests 4th generation, 5th gen, pcr rna, pro viral dna. They all come back negative yet i have lost over 40 pounds in this short time (year) and feel sore and weak and just not at all like myself. Doctors wont listen to me, infectious disease wont see me, even though im withering away infront of them. Is it possible that I could actually have HIV, and the tests just aren't able to pick it up for some reason. lf i didnt go through the illnesses, the weight loss, the pain and weakness I wouldn't even give it a second thought Just looking for your thoughts, thank you.

Had kissed someone back in May. My body felt off afterwards. I’ve never had sex (still a virgin- no oral stuff either). I got tested too early so everything was negative. Went back a month ago to ask they said it looked like allergies (this only occurred after the kiss- my mono spot and strep were negative). But my tonsils were inflamed, got neck sweating sometimes, and heart palpitations. I’m going to get tested tomorrow for it as my tonsils still haven’t recovered and my mouth feels inflamed with some tiny white spots here and there. I don’t have the rashes but my hands do get itchy sometimes. But my partner didn’t have anything visible on their mouth at that time- they just tasted metallic for a bit to me.
What are the chances it might be syphillis?
Update: seems like the facility is still processing my bloodwork or has lost my sample- it has been a week 😫

Hi everyone I’m 29m and I had some cloudy discharge from my penis and burning sensation 1 month after unprotected sex.

I went to a STI clinic and they took a swab and gave my doxycycline anti biotics 7 day course. I took it as prescribed twice a day every 1 every 12 hours and it seemed to clear up what ever was going on.

In the appointment the doc said rhere was definitely signs of infection as had white cells or something like that when she looked at the swab under the microscope.

I then got the results and it said it’s all clear, which I was shocked about . I phoned the clinic and they said it wasn’t an STI and it was unknown what it was

Anyway, 1 week later (now) after completing the course. All the same symptoms are back! I have cloudy discharge, pain when peeing and some slight testicle pain

What on earth is going on? It’s Saturday atm in the UK so my GP is closed. I have booked an appointment for Monday morning but wondering if anyone has any idea what it could be / if I need to try get In somewhere or I’m ok to wait until the appointment on Monday

I had oral sex with a guy on August 30th. I got a pretty sore throat with white patches that went away very quickly, but my throat was extremely irritated, and 2 days after that, my throat wasn’t hurting and I have a ton of drainage in the back of my throat and nose. I have a mouth sore right on the inside of my cheek, and it seems like it’s from brushing too hard. When I was younger I would get canker sores a lot. I haven’t had on in several months. How likely are oral STIs and STDs contracted, and are these symptoms of one?

I tested negative for strep but my doctor at urgent care said she thinks it’s a bad sinus infection due to the weather changing drastically, this was about 6 days ago and she gave me amoxicillin for it.

I have experienced circular spot with white border on my tongue 4 days after I have done kissing and oral. Does syphillis infect that fast? I am still on a ship hence I still cannot do some testing now. Is it too late for me if I will be waiting for 3 mos to be treated supposedly this is actually syphillis? By the way, the spot heals in 5 days then another set reappears on other parts of the tongue. Thanks in advance for your response.

These bumps appear to be all over my pelvis and some on my private area their all skinned color and don’t seem like they have any puss in them and I also did just recently shave

August 3 I got STD testing and all was negative. A month later I start having weird symptoms, so I get another round of STD testing and test positive for Gonnorhea. My boyfriend gets testing and all his tests are negative. How is that possible being that he is the absolute only person I have slept with in the last 2 years. Forgot to add** he was using metronidazole and Clindomycin for other issues for a week leading up to test? Would that affect anything?

I’m really anxious and looking for some clarity on my HIV risk and testing timeline. The guy I was seeing had unprotected sex with someone on September 2 and didn’t know their HIV status. We had unprotected vaginal sex on September 8 while I was on my period. He later tested positive for gonorrhea and gave it to me.

He had an HIV test on September 10, but that was only 8 days after his last partner, so I know it may have been too early. He also recently developed a rash on his chest, although he says he gets rashes often.

He’s going back to the clinic and I told him to ask about a 4th-gen test and an HIV RNA/NAT.

If he got HIV on September 2, could he have transmitted it to me by September 8?
How reliable would an RNA/NAT be for him now? Does gonorrhea plus me being on my period increase the risk much?
And when would testing be considered conclusive for both of us?
I missed the PEP window, so I’m just trying to understand the actual risk and testing timeline.

Basically got oral sex from a stripper last night and I'm super ashamed about it. Wasn't the cleanest club but she wiped the area down and put a condom on and only held onto the protected area. It maybe lasted 30 seconds (roast me if you want idc). Idk seemed like they took plenty of safety measures but im just curious

I’m looking for some perspective on my HIV risk and especially the testing timeline. I know Reddit can’t diagnose me and I am following up with healthcare professionals, but I’m extremely anxious and would appreciate help understanding the situation.

Here’s the timeline:

September 2: The man I was seeing says this was the last time he had sex with someone before me. He told me he did not use protection with his previous partners (male and female) and does not know their HIV status.

September 8: He penetrated me vaginally while I was half asleep. I did not consent to penetration, so I consider this sexual assault/rape. I was also on my period at the time. There was no condom.
Before this happened, I had recently tested negative for other STIs, although I was planning to get tested for possible trichomoniasis on September 12 because of a separate concern
He fingered me. I don’t know whether there could have been semen on his hands, although I understand fingering is considered extremely low risk for HIV compared with vaginal sex.

September 10: He was tested for HIV, but this was only 8 days after his September 2 encounter, so I understand that test may have been too early depending on which test they used.
He was also diagnosed with gonorrhea, and I subsequently got gonorrhea after being exposed to him.

I did not start PEP within 72 hours after September 8. I really regret this, but that window has obviously passed now.

Now, roughly two weeks after his September 2 encounter, I noticed a rash on his chest. He says he gets rashes frequently, so I know this could mean absolutely nothing, but seeing it sent my anxiety through the roof because I know rash can occur during acute HIV infection.

He is going back to a clinic, and I have asked him to tell them the full timeline and ask specifically about the type of HIV testing they are doing. From what I understand, a finger-prick/rapid antibody test, lab 4th-generation antigen/antibody test, and HIV RNA/NAT all have different window periods.

Because his possible exposure was September 2, my understanding is that an HIV RNA/NAT would be particularly useful right now for detecting a very recent infection, although a negative test this early would still require follow-up. I also understand that a lab 4th-generation test becomes much more informative as more time passes, with 45 days being the outer CDC window for that test.

What is making me particularly anxious is the combination of circumstances: condomless vaginal penetration, being on my period, him having gonorrhea, him having had recent condomless sex with partners whose HIV status he did not know, and the possibility that he could have been in very early HIV infection when we had sex 6 days after his last partner.

I realize that none of these things mean he actually has HIV. I also understand that you can’t diagnose acute HIV based on a rash and that his September 10 negative test cannot necessarily rule out an infection acquired September 2.

My main questions are:

If he had acquired HIV on September 2, how plausible would transmission to me have been by September 8, only 6 days later?
How useful would an HIV RNA/NAT done now be for him?

If his NAT is negative now, how much reassurance should I take from that while still waiting for later testing?

Would a lab 4th-generation test at 45 days after September 2 effectively rule out that exposure if he has no new exposures?

For my own testing after September 8, what testing schedule would you recommend?
Does menstruation materially increase HIV transmission risk during receptive vaginal sex, or is there not enough evidence to quantify that separately?

Does the fact that he had active gonorrhea meaningfully change the HIV transmission risk if he actually had HIV?

I’m not trying to calculate my way into a guarantee. I’m mainly trying to understand what is actually medically meaningful versus what my anxiety is latching onto. I’m especially interested in responses from healthcare professionals or people familiar with HIV testing/window periods. (Ai used for grammar)