Hola,
This has been bothering me enough that I've finally relented and am now posting my concerns on a public health board!
The facts:
- 22 years of age
- Still a virgin
- Healthy and pretty physically active
- Never had a PAP or any sort of pelvic exam
Symptom stuff:
- Horrible smell, I guess you could say the typical fishy odour for some months now. I mean. It's bad and surely noticeable. Holy embarassment.
- Lots of discharge. It appears clear on the panties and on TP. Normally I wouldn't count this as a symptom, but lately I've been having A LOT of it. Water-like I guess. So much so sometimes I can actually feel it bubbling out (sorry, that was sort of gross...) Last semester (in college) it got to the point where I'd bring extra undies with me during long days so I could change them in the afternoon in an effort to keep the smell and wetness at bay. Also copious amounts of perfume in an attempt to cover it up.
- No itching.
- I do occasionally spot between periods, but my cycle has always been messed up. I started having extremely painful cramps and was put on BC pills despite my virgin status to help regulate my period, around when I was 13-14 or whenever it was. But they've been possibly making my gums bleed so the dentist recommended I switch brands. Well, it's also become mighty expensive so I quit them all together several months ago. Since then I can go up to three months without a period, then I'll have a normal-ish cycle where I may start spotting between periods or have two periods that are really close together. My last period was so painful I actually managed to throw up because of the extreme discomfort (a first...normally they just render me bedridden with a hot water bottle). It's been over a month since then and still nothing.
- I do wash myself down there every time I shower, which is every day...and ONLY gently with water. I've never used soap or douche.
- I change my undies every day or sometimes twice a day if I'm feeling particularly self-consious.
- I did have a yeast infection about a year ago...itchyness and white discharge and all the classic signs, which was cleared up with otc medication.
- Newest development - I checked myself out "down there" with a mirror...not something I normally do...and found a strange nodule thingy right next to the entrance of my vagina. It almost looks like a skin tag, is a little red and is sensitive to touch. I didn't examine it too closely so I'll do that later I guess. And of course now that I know it is there, it burns slightly whenever I wipe. Don't know if this has anything to do with everything else or not.
So...that's it. The smell is the most annoying thing, especially since I spend a large amount of time sitting with my legs apart in close proximity to other people (part of my job). Nothing I do seems to make it abate.
I'm home from college for the summer now and my mother has been badgering me to get my first pelvic exam and PAP done. I've been opposing this with my very being, using the excuse that I'm a virgin, so there's no chance of an STD or HPV or anything like that...and I'm young, so what's the point? But now I'm re-thinking this.
Has anyone experienced anything similar? Please reply.
