Blood in discharge

[dinosaur.girl7]

Hi! I've actually been a member for over a year now but just remade my account on the new boards--by the way, the site looks great!

So for the past month-ish (about a week after I got my period, I think) I've been having a bit of blood in my discharge. It's not a lot, just enough that it's sometimes pinkish or almost like there's strings of blood in it. Kinda gross, sorry. I wasn't really worried but it's kept up nearly the whole month (albeit not completely consistently, some days I'll have regular discharge) and this hasn't really ever happened before? I mean I've had a bit of blood in it before but only for a day, not for nearly a month.
I'm also 5 days late on my period. A lot of the time I'm a few days early or a few days late (I usually vary from 27-32 days for a cycle) but this is longer than that. I wouldn't normally be worried (one time my cycle was 39 days) except for the discharge thing. And there's zero possibility I'm pregnant.

What should I do in this situation/should I be worried? I've never seen a OBGYN before (I'm 17) but was planning on seeing one before I left for college, should I instead see one now?

[Sam W]

Hi Dinosaurgirl,

Welcome to the new site . And yes, you should go see an OBYN or other healthcare provider about this. Do you need any help finding those services, or do you know where you plan to go?

[dinosaur.girl7]

I'd thought about going to one earlier because of bad period cramps and my mom had set something up for me, so yes I know where to go. Thank you! Is this something I should be super concerned about? I'll definitely make sure to get an appointment as soon as possible, but is it urgent enough that I should try to get an appointment tomorrow or something?

[Sam W]

I would try to get in within the next few days. Obviously, it's hard for me to gauge the urgency as I'm not a trained healthcare provider, but if it was my body that had been doing this for a month, I'd try to get in to see someone ASAP.

I do want to check: are you/have you been sexually active? If so, have you gotten an STI test recently?

[dinosaur.girl7]

Okay, I'll do my best to get one soon then.

No, I'm not sexually active. I guess technically I was on the receiving end of oral sex once, but that was back in early August. As far as I'm aware, the person I was with had at the time only been with one person prior and it was only once, over two years ago.
I've never gotten an STI test, and unfortunately I don't think there's any way for me to get one because the state I live in informs your parents if you're a minor, which I am. This really isn't something I can discuss with my parents

[Heather]

You can get tested in DC without parental notification, to my knowledge.

To find out for sure, just call or email into your local health department or Planned Parenthood branch and ask. Or, if you already have a general appointment with a healthcare provider, you can ask about that at your appointment.

Clearly, reproductive healthcare, period, is what is needed here, both some tests and a basic exam.

[dinosaur.girl7]

Sorry, I technically actually live just outside of DC, in Virginia. Last time I asked about STI testing, my doctor said it was impossible to have it done without my parents knowing. (Plus, I'm on my parent's healthcare plan, so I'm not sure what I should do)

[dinosaur.girl7]

I also don't really have any way of getting to an appointment without the knowledge of my parents, I'm sorry

[Heather]

Your doctor was uninformed. Take a look:
• http://sexetc.org/states/virginia/
• https://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp50 ... +54.1-2969 (Look under section E there)

(You just said a few posts ago you'd be making a healthcare appointment. Did something in your circumstances change in the last couple days with that?)

[dinosaur.girl7]

Thank you so much! I'll definitely ask again, then.

Oh sorry! I didn't mean I wouldn't be getting an OBGYN appointment. I meant that if there was any separate appointment for STI testing it'd be near impossible for me to get to it without my parents' knowledge.

[Heather]

But it wouldn't. Not legally, not practically.

Obviously, that last doctor is not the one you want to see for this, but I assure you that a sexual healthcare provider or clinic can get STI testing for you as needed without parents being notified in any way. And the OB/GYN you are seeing can either be that provider or can likely refer you to a provider you can access for that testing if you need it to be free or pay cash for it.

[dinosaur.girl7]

Okay, I'll ask my OB/GYN about it. Thank you so much!

[Heather]

Sure thing! Hope this gets cleared up for you soon.