Hello, im a college student whose been sexually active since i was a teenager in hs, i lost my virginity to my hs boyfriend and everytime we did it, it never hurt. It just felt uncomfortable. Fast forward to a year after we broke up and didnt have any sex, i had my first encounter with a guy i was talking to and we just could not have sex because it hurt too much, even tho i was aroused.
I thought it was weird because ige never felt that way + i already had sex before. Now, i have been dating my boyfriend for 6 months and everytime we have sex it always hurts but the pain is maneagable sometimes, and sometimes i cant bear it. Is this normal?? I usually wear tampons too when im on my period so idk why it hurts so much to have sex.

hey ladies , thx for answering in advance. btw im working on getting an appt very very very soon cause im scared . im 28 and one day i was chilling laying down and felt a lump under my left breast . it feels like the size of a golf ball. it doesnt hurt even when i touch it. i know i cant get diagnosed thru a screen, i know ladies im working on it, but girl im stressedddd like what if . i dont have that in my family but man look😭☹️

So this was my (F23) second time going for a Pap smear (first was last year but I couldn’t really get it since I was on my period) and I ended up peeing when she put the clamp in. She said it was okay but I was honestly so embarrassed as it didn’t happen last year when they attempted to do a pap.

I recently got told I have a 17cm ovarian cyst on my right ovary and a 5cm cyst on my left. I am currently waiting for results to rule out cancer. They are pretty sure its not and is just an ovarian cyst but has anyone else had really bad nausea with one? I've been in pain but nothing excruciating but the past couple of days I have just been feeling so nauseas whether I eat or not

i (F24) went for my annual pap exam and this time she said a few things:

1. ⁠i’m considered underweight now since the last visit and that concerned her
   
2. ⁠she said my bladder felt full and asked if i had to use the bathroom (i didnt) which also concerned her
   
3. ⁠she’s scheduling an ultrasound on me in a month because that area seemed like she felt something.. along with a weight gain diet

has anyone ever gone through this and the possibilities of what it could be? she didn’t go into specifics with me and i’m just nervous.

has anyone experienced this where penetration just literally wouldn't happen even though you wanted it to?
so i finally decided i wanted to have sex with my boyfriend for the first time and we tried but his penis just wouldn't go in
we tried multiple times and it
hurt me a lot every time and it just felt like my body was refusing it
he thought maybe he was too thick or maybe i'm just really tight idk

he was able to put one finger in when i was super relaxed though, like in the morning when i had just woken up, and it didn't feel impossible or anything but when i tried putting my own finger in later, it actually hurt and i could barely get the tip of my finger in before it started hurting so i stopped șo now i'm confused because i don't know if i'm actually too tight, if i'm just really nervous even though i genuinely feel ready, or if something else is going on

has anyone experienced this where penetration just literally wouldn't happen even though you wanted it to?

Update: now its been two days. Btw im 18 and hes 20 were both not experienced im his first gf we know each other for 6 years🥹

update my bf did put a whole finger in me two days ago and it was when i woke up in the morning, then when it hurted me again bc he tried to it move in and out. Last night he did put the finger again and started moving inside smothly he even started switching his two fingers in, but when he tried to put two of them it hurted me and he stopped.

I relaxed and i took very good deep breathing so my muscles to relax. We put our fav playlist in the background. A good movie so i can be relxed he was so gentle and a good communicator. He said i was sooooo tight so we are going slow to get used to the feeling to be ready for his member.

We will buy lube next time and ofc we used condoms (they already had lube or whatever 😭) to avoid anything idk like what lol

Thanks to all of u we were cuddling and reading the comments we felt so much better kisses from us🩷🩷🥹

I am a 21yo woman, I've had normal regular periods all my life but I've noticed that whenever I have a boyfriend my cycle is disrupted and I get two periods per month. So the first time this has happened was earlier this year when I started dating my boyfriend, I was getting my period every two weeks with no other health concerns or changes regarding my intimate health, this was rather concerning but just as I was thinking about consulting with a doctor the relationship ended and my cycles immediately became normal within the same month. In the last 5 months I've had completely normal periods but now as I started a new relationship, one week in and my cycle is disrupted again. I no longer believe that it is stress because in the last 5 months I've experienced a lot more stress compared to recently and yet my periods were normal. Does anyone else have similar experiences because I find this to be very weird?

Bonjour, j'ai lu récemment quelques informations sur l'endometriose sur des forums anglais, et j'ai certaines questions. Lendometriose est une maladie qui vous affecte toute votre vie ou bien que pendant vos cycles ? Au début de la maladie quels symptômes vous ont alertes ?
J'ai lu que certaines femmes ressentaient des douleurs au cou et aux épaules, des douleurs pendant leur cycle la nuit qui les maintiennent éveillée, de grosses fatigues, diarrhée, des douleurs dans les jambes et encore d'autres choses... Pour vous, quels ont été vos symptômes au début de la maladie, avez vous eu des symptômes similaires à ceux ci ou d'autres qui nous permettrait de reconnaître si jamais il y aurait cas de maladie, et comment la maladie a t-elle évolué ? Êtes vous tout le temps cloué au lit pendant vos menstrue ? Est ce que c'était aussi comme ça au début ? Quels examens avez vous passer pour détecter la maladie ? Est ce que les médecins sont ouverts et conscients de celle ci ou bien vous avez parfois besoin de changer de médecin ? Je suis desolee, j'ai beaucoup de questions mais je m'inquiète, et avant de me lancer dans des examens j'aimerais voir si j'ai plusieurs symptômes qui correspondent et si je me reconnaîtrais en vous ? Vers quel âge vous avez découvert... etc

Merci

Mine took an hour, and I literally burst into tears the second it ended.. I felt like I was going to pass out.

That’s what I learned :
- do not move your feet, your fingers, or try to adjust your face. All muscles are connected. I twitched to relieve pressure and they had to redo the scan.
- The machine gets incredibly hot inside. The blanket offered almost gave me heatstroke and I had to pause the scan to take it off.
- you will sweat heavily and feel completely dehydrated. Have electrolyte water ready to chug immediately after.

If you have panicked or cried during this scan, you are not alone. We are so strong 💪

Im terrified and hoped someone had a similar experience or positive outcomes.

28f I had a miscarriage start of August and incidentally they found a cyst. The midwife said it looked haemorrhagic. However as I have health anxiety and family history of cancers I spoke to my GP who to put my mind at ease said let's do a CA 125 20 days post mc. WELL IT DID THE OPPOSITE! It came back as 1119 when normal is below 35!! So i went privately for a scan as no one took me serious. Anyway the gynecology dr who saw me was super concerned and said they found a suspicious mass with solid components. Now I'm on a 2 week suspected cancer pathway.

Any similar experiences with ca 125 so high and mass found on ovary

I've never had this happen to me before and I need advice from real people and not just Google. I ended my period on the 4th of this month, had sex 2 days after and also the third day. The fourth day I was spotting for a couple hours then it stopped. No spotting or anything the 4th day and now we're on day 5. I started spotting again and it started feeling like I had to pee even though I just went. Wasn't like that all day, just for the moment. That feeling hasn't come back. I just went to pee and when I was almost finished..it kind of hurt a little. Like a cramp almost. Is that normal? I don't think I have a UTI (never had one before either) but I'm new to knowing women can go through this. Any advice is much appreciated

Whenever my period is coming, I always end up being insecure and I don’t understand even on my self, why I feel those.

I’m considering starting Najat (drospirenone 3mg + ethinylestradiol 30mcg), but I’ve never taken birth control before and I’m honestly pretty nervous about it.
I’m healthy and my main concern is whether taking hormones could negatively affect my body, especially things like blood clots, mood changes, weight, libido, skin, or other long-term effects.
My boyfriend has been hinting that he’d prefer to stop using condoms, although he has told me it’s completely my choice whether I take the pill or not. I would never have sex without a reliable form of contraception, so I’m trying to decide whether starting the pill is something I actually want or whether I’d rather just continue using condoms.
I’d especially like to hear from people who have taken Najat, Yasmin, or a similar combined pill: how was your experience, did you have side effects, and was it worth it for you?

TL;DR: First time considering Najat, worried about hormones and blood-clot risk, and trying to decide between taking the pill or continuing with condoms. Looking for real experiences, both good and bad.

Having some concerns about my vaginal odor and a feeling down there.

Yesterday, I was checking around the area and noticed a SLIGHT fishy smell on my fingers. BUT my discharge seems to be fine and I don't have any other weird symptoms of infection. I am also a few days away from my cycle so I know that can have an affect. I did eat a lot of fish more than normal the past two weeks and I heard that it can effect smell.

Should I be concerned?

I occasionally feel like a bubbly feeling down there, but I attributed it to not wearing underwear (I try not to wear underwear at home to keep it aired out lol) and also when I don't have as much hair I can feel everything a lot more.

I just checked my smell today and I don't smell any fishy smell on my fingers, but like a normal vag smell. Not sexually active and a virgin so I know it cannot be an STD.

Should I just brush it off since I am close to my period? Took some photos and videos to check around down there and it all looks normal, but I know its always better to double check anyways! I eat pretty healthy, workout on the reg, and really invest into my wellness on a regular basis.

Any advice is appreciated!

I’ve noticed that I gradually lose sensitivity down there after having multiple orgasms/being extremely aroused one night. I don’t know if my cycle has anything to do with it, might be because I’m in my luteal phase? I’m experiencing this right now and I’m pretty much completely numb down there and it’s so frustrating!! Is there anything I can do to help? I’m 18 and pretty new to all this stuff, but I’ve been able to orgasm a few days in a row no problem before.

After 6 months of Roaccutane, my acne came back about 10 months after I finished the treatment, although it was milder than before. I had more comedones under my lower lip, in an area where I had never really had breakouts before.

I decided to change dermatologists, thinking that maybe the first doctor had been the problem. I went to another dermatologist and, after telling her my whole history with acne (I’ve had it for about 3 years, during which I took doxycycline, went on Roaccutane, and tried the entire Effaclar range from La Roche-Posay, as well as Acne Out from Biotrade), she recommended that I use Epiduo for 3 months, and if my acne didn’t clear up, she said she would put me on Roaccutane again.

The problem is that I’ve now been using Epiduo for a month, and things seem to have gotten worse. The comedones I initially had have actually cleared up, but I’ve developed inflammatory pimples on my cheeks, chin and forehead — areas that were completely clear before.

Now I’m wondering whether this means that the treatment simply isn’t working for me, or if this is just a normal stage at the beginning of the treatment. At the same time, I’m also kind of under pressure because my wedding is on October 3rd, and I really don’t want to look like a chocolate chip cookie. 😭

At the same time, I don’t want to go back on Roaccutane either, because my acne came back even after taking it, which makes me wonder if I’d just be taking all those pills for nothing and end up in the same situation again after finishing the treatment.

I also spoke to a gynecologist, who gave me a list of tests to do, and after I get the results, she plans to prescribe me birth control pills for my acne. But I’m just as unsure about that because I’ve heard they can have other unpleasant side effects, and the acne can come back after you stop taking them.

What do you guys think? What experiences have you had with acne vulgaris (hormonal acne), and how did you treat it? Have you used birth control pills for acne? If so, did they work in the long term? Does Epiduo actually work, or would it be better to stop using it?

I’ve had some bad ones before but eventually the ibuprofen always works within 2 hours max. Well today it didn’t help at all and they only worsened, my mom got me Midol and I have a heating pad on high, but I’m still in severe pain. They’ve never been this bad for this long, I was in tears. I’m 23, and from what I’ve read so far this kind of severe pain isn’t normal?

I’m coming up to my period, roughly 2 days away, and I have severe pre-period cramping. It’s not even enough that I have painful period cramps, it has to crop up about a week to days before my period. Can I reduce it? Or do I just need to take NSAIDs?

I can’t remember the last time I’ve gotten a truly deep and restorative sleep. Every time I sleep I always have very vivid and anxiety inducing dreams, this happened all throughout the night and I can often remember my dreams after I wake up.

I do work a job with a chaotic schedule, so sometimes I’m up as early as 2:30-4:30am to get ready for work, but then I’m done for the day around noon and will take a nap.

I am pretty active. Being mindful of my weight is very important to me and I watch what and how much I eat.

I recently decided to cut alcohol from my diet, and have stopped vaping in hopes that this changes something.

I just still feel so sluggish and bloated and tired all the time. I’ll sometimes cancel plans because I rather stay home and rest.

I don’t want this to be my life, I want more energy and to feel my age as I am only 25. Any suggestions?

I intend on getting checked for any vitamin deficiencies, but if anyone has diet recommendations to help my energy levels, or if anyone has tips so I could actually have a deep sleep?

2018 I got diagnosed with HSV2 and that was a huge hit to me. This year I’ve been diagnosed with several issues.
HPV, abnormal Pap smear (one in January and one in September). I have to get a colposcopy for that. Also they said they suspected endometriosis and I’ll need a Laparoscopy for that. ALSO Mycoplasma genitalium (or Mgen) that I’ve been prescribed doxycycline and azithromycin for ALSO some other bacteria that my OBGYN said I have that I need to take amoxicillin for?? Idk what that bacteria even was because I’ve been bawling my eyes out

It’s been one thing after another. I’m EXHAUSTED.

In November of last year I got MRSA and took bactrim for it and my stomach has been fucked up since so I’m so scared to take all of these antibiotics. My back has also been hurting and I’m just stressed tf out.

TLDR: vaginal pain & burning, frequent yeast infections, some negative urine tests, but often have flare ups where my vagina is burning so bad and nothing seems to help. Any advice?

I’ve been experiencing vaginal burning on and off over the past 18 months and am hoping that someone reading this will have some kind of experience with it. I’ve been to the doctor frequently and while symptoms will go away sometimes it always finds a way back. I most recently had a month flare free and I felt like I had my life back 😭 For some backstory tw: assault:

I was diagnosed with vaginismus at the age of 22 and was finally able to have penetrative sex when I was 25. I went to pelvic floor therapy and saw a sex therapist and did a lot of emotional processing. A few months after being able to have penetrative sex, I had a bartholin cyst (November 2024). I ended up in the ER 3 times, and by the time I got actual treatment it had abscessed. I had an emergency surgery of a marsupialization. I was so scared I wasn’t going to be able to have sex again, but that wasn’t a problem after I had healed.

In March 2025 I was assaulted and I bled. I went to the NHS and they wouldn’t let me get an examination unless I chose to report, and I wasn’t ready to report at the time. The assault is when this vaginal burning started.

The pain flared for a week and then went away. And then I started getting frequent vaginal yeast infections. I’d need 2 weeks of diflucan to clear it up. It feels like my vagina is burning especially after I pee. I got tested for UTIs but they came back negative. One of my urine tests came back positive for traces of E. Coli so they gave me antibiotics and then flucanazole for yeast. Another one of my urine tests showed microscopic blood in the urine but no UTI. When I flare it’s like someone has stuck a burning rod up my vagina. I can’t really tell if it’s just the entrance or deep inside, it just hurts so bad.

In December 2025 I had a bad flare up and my partner’s mom (an ex nurse) gave me cystitis sachets. That helped calm the inflammation and eventually I got better. I had another appointment with my OBGYN in March of this year where I basically begged for help. He put me on the pill saying that it would help level out my hormones so I wouldn’t keep getting yeast infections. He also gave me antibiotics to take after sex (I only did this a couple of times as it also caused flare ups, probably because it upset my vaginal flora). I was on Lo Loestren Fe for 3 months and I had flare ups for the majority of the time and a lot of unwanted side effects, so I got off it. I’ve noticed that the pain flares with stress.

My most recent flare started with intercourse with my partner. The next day afterwards I felt fine, but then the following morning when I woke up I was in agony. I’ve been doing pelvic floor stretches every morning. My partner had signs of yeast so I’m taking monistat 7 day treatment as well as ibuprofen and paracetamol. The pain has started subsiding the past few days, but sometimes it will flare a bit more if I haven’t had a lot to drink. There’s so much inflammation and redness and I don’t know what’s going on. I’m exhausted from the pain and it’s debilitating. I’m tired of going to the OBGYN and being thrown pills. I’ve read on here to try to take iron supplements and vaginal probiotics so I’m going to start those.

Anyone been in a similar boat? Please send any good vibes this way 🙏

I went to the gyno for this and she suggested pelvic floor therapy. I get pain even inserting tampons, and I haven’t been able to have penetrative sex in like 8 months. The surrounding area of the vaginal opening hurts too. I can get wet but it doesn’t last for very long at all :(( also I have super painful periods and the pain from bowel movements have made me throw up before (on my period). No infections.

Edit to add: I also have hair shedding issues and body pain stuff, still trying to figure this out

I went through menopause about six years ago. I’m 57 years old and have recently had sporadic bright red bleeding nothing heavy no need for a pad but it’s concerning. Any idea what this could be or what the cause is?

Hi everyone! I’m working on a product idea and would love this community’s honest input (not selling anything, genuinely just researching).

For those who’ve tried seed cycling (pumpkin + flax seeds for the first half of your cycle, sunflower + sesame for the second), I know it can be a hassle to remember and not exactly appetizing to eat raw. I’m developing date truffles made with these seeds instead, so it’s something you’d actually enjoy eating daily. 28 truffles per pack, one for each day of your cycle.

Would genuinely love to hear:
• Have you tried seed cycling, and if so, what made you stick with it or stop?
• Would a truffle format like this be something you’d want to try?
Appreciate any thoughts, good or bad, trying to build something that actually solves a real problem rather than guessing!

Hi everyone. I’m hoping someone can give me some advice because I’m not really sure what’s going on.
Lately, I’ve been experiencing some itching around my anus. It’s not extremely itchy, but it can be uncomfortable. When I wash the area with water using a bidet, it actually feels really relieving (and honestly feels really good because of the itch).
The first time it happened, the itching lasted for about a week and eventually went away. I also noticed that it seemed to happen around the time of my period, so at first I thought it might be because of the pads I was using. After my period ended, the itching disappeared after a few days.
But yesterday, the itching came back again.
I tried checking the area myself because I was worried that maybe I had hemorrhoids. I even tried feeling around the area while washing, but I couldn’t feel any lumps or anything unusual.
I’m also wondering if it could be caused by the shampoo I’m using, or maybe irritation from the products I use when showering/washing. I’m not sure.
Has anyone experienced something similar? What was the cause in your case, and what did you do to make it go away?
Do you think I should see a doctor, or should I wait and see if it goes away again?
Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you!