It could be irritation due to dryness, or something like a yeast infection. If you're having more discharge than usual and experiencing burning, it would be a good idea to see a healthcare provider.

Being out of breath will not cause problems with your pill. You only need to be concerned about effectiveness if you take other medications that can interfere, if you throw up within an hour or so after taking it, or if you miss a pill.

Kawani, I've got you added to the group as well.

Awesome! Glad that worked.

Could one of you try again to access that forum, please? I just fiddled with a few things, hoping it will work for you now.

Having something unusual going on with your body can be really stressful, especially if you're already anxious. It sounds like talking to your therapist may have helped a bit, but what about making another appointment to see your PCP? As Amanda said, anxiety and stress can cause some pretty odd phys...

Menstrual cycles may not return to normal immediately after an abortion, but if your friend is concerned then they need to check in with a healthcare provider. There's just no way for us to know what's going on here: we aren't doctors, and even if we were it's not possible to diagnose people over th...

What form(s) of birth control you use are up to you, and depend on what level of risk you're comfortable with. Condoms on their own are highly effective when used properly, but not quite as effective as the pill. Combining two methods like condoms and the pill is going to offer you the highest level...

Irregular bleeding is one of the possible side effects of Depo, so what you're experiencing doesn't sound unusual or like anything to be concerned about. It's pretty typical for things to be a bit out of whack in the first few months of using any hormonal method, because your body is adjusting to th...

I'm so sorry that you haven't been getting useful responses. It's great that your stepmom is helping you out with this, and I'm so glad that you've been able to stay with your dad. Hopefully Ashleah will have some more suggestions, but I just wanted to let you know that we're all on your side here a...

Hi lilprincess. With regards to the painful sex, have you seen this piece? From OW! to WOW! Demystifying Painful Intercourse

"Pregnancy" symptoms can be caused by all sorts of things. If you have had a pregnancy risk, then the only way to know if you are pregnant is to take a test.

First thing: are you safe where you are right now? Are you with your dad, or is there any way you can arrange to stay with him as soon as possible? Per who to talk to, if you're not comfortable with the school counselor, that's fine - it sounds like they really haven't been useful (actually, they so...

Glad to help. I hope the conversation goes well.

Periods do tend to regulate after the first few years, but cycles also change and shift occasionally: they will not be the same for the whole of your life. It sounds like you might just be going through a bit of a shift now, but it never hurts to check in with a healthcare provider if you're concern...

In addition to all of the excellent points Keda has made, I just wanted to add that it's totally okay to just be questioning for a while. A lot of people feel sort of pressured to figure out a label for themselves and stick with it, but gender identity (and sexual orientation) can take a while - eve...

You always want to take the full course of any medication once you've started, even if you start feeling better. Symptoms can go away without the infection being fully gone, and if you stop taking the antibiotics early the infection may come back.

I think saying some of what you've said here would actually be a really good place to start. It's possible to acknowledge and respect his choices, and let him know that you are not trying to control his behaviour, while still sharing that you have some concerns. Using "I" statements is oft...

You're very welcome.

Usually, diagnosing a UTI is done by getting a urine sample and doing a dip test - using a special strip of paper that changes colour in a certain way when there's an infection. It's very quick, just a few minutes. Sometimes a sample will then be sent off to a lab to determine the specific type of b...

Yep!

Even though the condom broke, your partner did pull out before he ejaculated, so you still used two methods of contraception: the pill and withdrawal. EC wouldn't add anything to your level of protection in this case.

Compulsive behaviour is a behaviour that people perform without feeling like they have control over doing so. With porn, that might be something like they have to use it during masturbation even if they don't actually want to, or skipping other activities. That can be a problem for the individual, o...

Glad to be able to help.

So, it sounds to me like there might be some misunderstanding here about how the pill works. That article from the NY Times, while interesting, is also pretty misleading. First of all, birth control isn't cumulative. Your typical use of the pill two years ago does not affect its effectiveness now: i...

I'm not familiar with how anti-discrimination laws and policies relate to private universities, so I can't speak to how much of a fight you might have on your hands with that. From a big-picture perspective, it's probably worth at least looking into it, but it kind of boils down to what you feel com...