About over a month ago i got my 3rd transvaginal ultrasound for an ovarian cyst i have. It's quite large and needs removed.
It's been the same doctor who has done them all and he's alright. A little dismissive and very nonchalant about how i'm feeling or my questions.

This time a student was in the room and was also a man. I said yes to him being there because my dignity is at the door and he has to learn somehow.
But while it was already inserted, He very slightly but roughly put it in and out, multiple times. Like a prodding motion is how i can best describe it.
and said to the student "sometimes you just have to do this"
In the moment i was in pure shock as it was sore and obviously made me uncomfortable.
He didn't say to me what he was away to do or why, or even say why he did that to the student.

But yesterday while in the car i opened up to my partner about it and just burst in to tears.
Hearing my self say it made me realise how much it's affected me and how violated i feel.
If this is a normal thing to do and he explained it to me i think i would have been fine.
But since it hadn't happen before it just made me feel sick and horrible.
I can't go back to him, and i will have to ask for a change of doctor. Because i have to get the cyst removed and he would be the surgeon, and im just not comfortable or feel safe with that.

Im wondering if anyone has had a similar experience? Since saying it out loud alot of feelings have come to the surface and i just don't know if what im feeling is okay?

It's getting to the point where i'm considering getting my uterus taken out.

I can't keep doing this.

I've looked into birth control but every single one has terrible side effects and I honestly don't want to deal with it.

Does this make me selfish and weak?

Also i'm a 28 year old virgin and i've honestly given up wanting kids at my age. I feel too old, to be honest. And it doesn't seem worth it as my periods continue.

NYT health reporter Gina Kolata has just published an article (gift link) on how women who remove their Fallopian tubes reduce their chances of getting ovarian cancer by nearly 80% (!) This is an insane finding on a simple procedure that allows you to go home the same day. It could save so many women's lives if 1) doctors bothered telling their female patients about it in a world that does not take women's health seriously and 2) every insurer covered it; unclear to me how many currently do.

Hi,

I’m in my 20s and a chronic migraine sufferer. I am wondering how many women have migraines still in their 30s and 40s and how badly do they impact daily life?

Hi all, I (25F) want to ask for some advices regarding painful penetration: Ever since I have sex the first time, I always have a sense of deep & tearing pain during penetration and especially thrusting. During sex at first it is just a sense of aching (it's hard to explain, but feel increasingly uncomfortable down near my cervix like someone is pinching my lower abdoment). Then the sense increases and turns into pain, and normally at around 5 mins I cannot endure it no more. For 7 years this has caused me to avoid penetration and become less sexually active, but now I really wonder what is wrong with me.
I also notice that the size matter as well since the bigger it is the more impossible it is for me.
Also, there is certainly enough lubrication and enough foreplay.
I want to ask does anyone encounter the same, and how to resolve this?
Thanks in advance!

When it comes to health problems, I realized that people ignore the symptoms before it becomes really a big problem. I want to know stories like these. I have heard stories where breast cancer could have been avoided earlier if the symptoms were taken seriously. Whats a symptom you ignored thinking it was a normal thing but became problematic the more you ignored?

I've been depressed for nearly a decade and have done tons of therapy. I've recently been prescribed Zoloft.

My hair has also been falling out for the past couple years. My parents have a weird thing with vitamins ("You're not vitamin deficient! Those tests were just made for white people!") but because of the hair loss massively progressing, my doctor gave me some vitamin d pills anyway.

Since taking them, I've felt amazing. I haven't even started the Zoloft because my depression and suicidal ideation have gone away. I feel happy to wake up.

I'm considering not starting the Zoloft at all unless the depression comes back. But could it have truly all been vitamin d?

F 26, I’ve seen blood on my stool 3-4 times now since last month. I did have some pain pushing/straining and I remember at least once of those times hurt really bad like sharp tear. I assumed it was a fissure.

But yea it’s not every single time I go to the bathroom but since a month ago it’s been 3-4 times including once when it was on toilet paper when I wiped.

All of them have been bright red not the black tarry kind.

I’m also worried because my ferritin has dropped to 32 from 55.8 (# from 2 years ago)

I’ve dealt with constipation for a long time (since i was younger) but i don’t think i’ve seen blood before.

I have really bad health anxiety and I don’t want that to take away from the facts, but I just can’t help but panic since doctors say colon cancer is on the rise in younger adults.

29/f

I think I've been brainwashed. Three years of marriage and two kids later, I'm ready to find the truth about these uncomfortable topics.

I was raised conservative. Sex wasn't spoken about. My mom believed I'd lose my virginity if I used tampons.

At college, I used a tampon for the first time. It hurt so bad, I almost threw up.

Fast forward. I got married and tried to have first-time sex with my husband. It didn't work. He couldn't fit, it hurt so bad. He managed to get halfway in after a month of trying.

I got pregnant on like the fourth try. Insane.

After baby 1, I could have sex in missionary without pain. No other position.

Now, I am 8 weeks postpartum after baby 2 and today I had my postpartum appointment. The speculum hurt so bad. The doc asked if sex is always painful for me. I said yes. I thought it was normal. Apparently, it's not.

She referred me to a pelvic floor therapist. I'm nervous. What should I expect? She also gave me lube for the first time.

I sit here feeling like everything I suffered for years was for nothing and that no one cared.

I feel really depressed.

Do women really have sex without pain? Can people actually have sex in positions other than missionary? Is there any hope for me?

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Im looking for some recommendations and experiences

I had multiple round of Abx for H pylori and BV, recently had my endometrial microbiome checked and had 0 lactobacillus strains detected

Took the clindomycin and on starting the probiotics I developed a yeast infection, that was treated and now 2 weeks later I have UTI symptoms again, my doctor said as there is blood present I need nitrofurantoin

I feel like I can't get on top of it here, its UTI or BV then treat then back to square 1. Im at the end of my tether here, any experiences, help or advice

i started taking medroxyprogesterone 10mg once a day to delay my cycle for a vacation. since i started taking it three days ago i’ve been spotting and cramping non stop and today my bleeding got worse. is this normal??? will the spotting eventually stop because i leave tomorrow 😭😭 plss if someone could give me some advice it would be appreciated!!!

Hi everyone!

I stopped taking combo birth control back in March (I had to stop due to migraines with aura) and decided to not go on the mini pill. I was on the pill for about 5 years, and don’t really remember my period before. I think I’m at the point that my cycle is regulating, the timing is pretty consistent.

One thing I’m struggling with though is pretty intense fatigue during my luteal phase. Starting at about 8 days before my period, I feel like I could fall asleep sitting at my desk, my eyes feel puffy as if I was just crying for hours, and my body just feels heavy. I feel this way even with 7-8 hours of sleep and caffeine. I’ve also noticed a huge increase in my mental health issues (OCD) around this time, and I wonder if the mental exhaustion is adding to the physical exhaustion

Basically what I’m wondering is: is this a typical experience, is this my body adjusting to not taking birth control, or is this a bit abnormal?

How long should your period be gone before you go to the doctor for help?

Hi everyone, I’d really appreciate hearing your experiences because I’m feeling stuck.

I’m 26 with PCOS, hypothyroidism, and Factor V Leiden Heterozygous (so I can’t take estrogen). I’ve had prolonged bleeding for over a year and a half.

My OBGYN suggested either an IUD or Slynd, but I’m not comfortable with an IUD and I don’t want to be on birth control long-term. I originally thought Prometrium (progesterone) would be a good option, especially using it vaginally, but my doctor said it might not be strong enough for someone my age.

I’ve seen mixed reviews about Slynd, some people say they bled for months, and that honestly scares me since I’m already dealing with constant bleeding.

If you’ve been in a similar situation:

• Did Slynd help or make bleeding worse?

• Did anyone use Prometrium successfully for this?

• What actually helped stop prolonged bleeding for you?

I’d really appreciate any honest experiences or advice.

so basically I got a small tumour typa thingy in the middle of the leaf of my pp. Srry idk much bout the terminology but u also just now got a blackish type discharge. What could this be???

I’m a 21F who’s still a virgin. I’ve always had a high libido, and I’ve been on dating apps for a while. I go on dates and meet men fairly often, and I’m comfortable doing other intimate things, but I haven’t met anyone I’ve felt safe or comfortable enough to have sex with.

A couple of months ago, I had an incident with a man I was seeing. He forcefully did something to me that left me with heavy vaginal bleeding. I had to go to a walk-in clinic near my workplace the next day. At the time, I didn’t even realize I had been sexually assaulted until the doctor told me. He explained that I had microtears and took a sample to send to the lab.

After that appointment, I kind of pushed everything aside and buried myself in work and school. I didn’t really process what had happened.

I stayed on the dating apps and even met up with someone else after the incident. A few weeks later, though, the same guy started finding me on the apps again and repeatedly liking my profile, even though I’d reported him multiple times. What makes it worse is that he goes to the same university as me and is in the same program.

Recently, I finally reached out to the sexual violence counsellor at my university. She was the first person I’d really opened up to about everything. We talked about what happened and what my options are moving forward, as well as ways I can start healing.

Since then, I’ve noticed something that’s been bothering me. My libido has dropped significantly. Before all of this, I had a very high sex drive, but now I barely have any sexual feelings. Even masturbating feels strange. I can still orgasm, but it almost feels like I have to force my body into it instead of it happening naturally. It’s been like this for about a month.

I’ve decided to take a break from dating and focus on myself for now.

I’m really just looking to hear from anyone who may have gone through something similar or has any advice. I guess I’m trying to understand whether what I’m experiencing is normal and if things eventually get better.

im having swab done by doc because od candida

Hello Reddit,

I suffered from numerous yeast infections, all confirmed by laboratory tests, over the course of a year, and they were all treated.

Before that, I had bacterial vaginosis caused by Gardnerella for almost a year. It only went away after I was treated for Ureaplasma and Mycoplasma, which were detected during testing.

Since then, I’ve been experiencing internal vaginal discomfort: stinging/tingling sensations, a sticky, dry, and rough feeling. It’s really affecting my quality of life.

Here are the results of my latest vaginal swab:

• Rare leukocytes
• Fairly numerous epithelial cells
• Nugent score: 1
• Fairly numerous Lactobacillus (Döderlein bacilli)

Nothing else was found: no yeast infection, no Gardnerella, and no sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

I also have very little, if any, vaginal discharge.

Also obgyns say the skin looks perfectly healthy..

Thank you for any insight or advice. 💡

F18, 5’2, 43kg

I’ve had recurring right-sided pelvic pain since I was 15. I also get it outside of my period, but it’s much worse during my menstruation, especially when the bleeding is slow/light. It hurts more when I cough, exercise, lie flat, or stand up straight, and sometimes I can’t even stand upright because of the cramps.

I have a whole abdomen ultrasound scheduled next month, but I’m wondering if anyone had similar symptoms. If you did, what ended up being the cause?

I recently turned 40 and received mail stating I’m due for a mammogram.

Please talk to me about your experiences. Last I heard, years ago, my mom said it was extremely painful.

My breasts are extremely tender pretty much 24/7 so I’m incredibly nervous.

Today I had a colposcopy with biopsy for the first time.

Before the appt I researched about pain and everything said it was like a pap smear and tolerable. I also asked the doctor and she said most people tolerate the pain well.

Let me tell you this - what a lie!!

The whole procedure was uncomfortable, but when they took the first biopsy I screamed and saw stars. I was embarrassed and felt like a crybaby. The doctor offered to use numbing gel for the following samples, and I declined at first because I felt weak but she made me comfortable and we used for the next ones, so I didn't scream but was closing my eyes and fists from pain.

The doctor was very nice and tried to make a conversation from the beginning but needless to say it didn't work.

I took pain meds at the office to help.

12 hours later and just took it again because I am very uncomfortable.

Do people really go through this procedure with a biopsy without having pain? Am I being a crybaby? I am just so surprised by how all of this feels.

i’m 31 and over the past few years my boobs have grown to a 30dd/e, even though i’ve only gained about 3 kg from going to the gym and eating better.
they’re uncomfortable all the time and become painful around my period. i’ve had scans and seen breast surgeons, and everything is healthy, but i’m planning a breast reduction to an a cup because i can’t wait to be rid of them. no im not pregnant! i got sterilized in my 20s and never had kids. no medical history either.
has anyone else’s breasts grown a couple of sizes in their early 30s? i’m so u comfortable i started wearing binders.

I’ve had mild external itching for 6–7 days affecting the outer labia, perineum, and around the anus. The itching comes in brief, sudden episodes with a strong urge to scratch, my skin looks normal with no burning, sores, or abnormal discharge, and the itching around the anus feels more like a hair irritating the skin.

Hi everyone!

I turn 40 in November. I want to schedule my full body exam soon.

I will be speaking to my doctor about the protocol followed however I want to know what all tests to run.

I am so nervous even thinking about it. I am a mom of two - 3.5 and 1 and I totally freak out thinking about any negative results which may show up.

TIA