infections from masturbating - what am i doing wrong?

[swimminginspace]

hey scarleteen! i'm already the type of person to frequently get yeast infections, but it started happening even more frequently when i started to masturbate. i will admit my hygiene with it could've been better in the past, but now i do what i can; i wash my hands before and after, change my underwear afterward, clean myself down there afterward and pat myself dry. i also no longer try penetration since that seems to aggravate things the most, but even with what i'm doing, i'm still having the same issues.
sorry to be so tmi, but the best way i can describe it is that it almost feels like my body is allergic to its own arousal fluid. there's intense itching specifically as i'm first getting aroused, and after i've finished masturbating. i generally masturbate at night, and i can usually tell as quickly as the next morning that i already have an infection. it's really infuriating because i'm a teen and have a high libido, but i'm now scared to relieve it in case it results in me needing a gyno appointment. yeast infections also take me much longer and much more medication to get over than i believe is the average.
so, are there any hygiene things i've been forgetting about here?? i'm guessing i should talk to my gyno about this, but i'm really not comfortable enough to tell someone face to face about my sex life, even if they're a professional...

[Heather]

I'm so sorry you have to keep dealign with yeast infections!

So, the thing about those is that those more often start *inside* your body than from external things like hands that aren't clean with masturbation. What it sounds like to me is that you may keep having infections because your infections are not being fully treated for them to actually go away.

Can you fill me in on what your history with this has looked like in terms of diagnosis and treatment? You say you haven't seen a GYN, so can you tell me who has been diagnosing these infections for you, how they have been diagnosing them, and providing treatment? And if your healthcare providers are aware of how often you have been getting infections, and if so, what they have said to you about them?

[swimminginspace]

hi there! so i have visited a gyn a few times for infections before; my most recent time, i mentioned that i get them frequently, and unfortunately it was like my gyn just ignored that completely. when i've seen doctors for it, i've been prescribed antibiotics and would sometimes purchase over the counter cream as well, either internal or external or both. i had mentioned a big contributing factor could be that, due to disability, i'm not able to shower or change my clothes daily. my gyn suggested at least focusing on just changing my underwear often, so i do that when i'm capable.
i think you're right that i haven't been receiving full treatment, though! you saying that kind of gave me a eureka moment lol. i've honestly thought that having physical discomfort down there was normal since like... middle school... but now i'm assuming that's not the case ... my gyn is gonna kill me for that. and i've realized that, as dumb as it is, i subconsciously give up on treatment early because i get sick of taking it for what feels like "too long" without seeing steady improvement. i'll try to set up a new appointment where i can be even firmer about the issue, and hopefully it'll go better. i'll also try to be more conscious that i'm not ignoring my health this time!
i would also just like to ask a quick question while we're here, though. would you say baby soap is considered safe to use when washing down there? considering my history with that physical discomfort and having difficulty showering often, i want to make sure i'm not contributing to the issue by not being clean enough, but i'm also not sure if there's something more mild i should be using. i believe it's just your basic johnson & johnson brand baby soap.

[Heather]

That soap should be fine -- and even just water by itself is fine -- and just be sure you're only ever washing the external portions of your genitals: don't try and wash inside the vagina or anus. I'd also be sure your undergarments are all cotton -- nothing synthetic -- and that your clothing is loose and comfortable: restricting clothing probably doesn't feel good to you anyway, but it also can make infections more likely. But again, yeast infections, unlike, say, bacterial infections, more often start inside your body than from the outside, so the answer to this is more likely going to be about medical treatment than anything else.

It sounds like your current GYN isn't very good, or isn't being very responsive. Honestly, if you have been seeing the same one for years, by now I would have expected that *they* were the one noticing you keep having yeast infections and that they would be very invested in finding out why. I'd also like to see a healthcare provider suggesting a check for any allergies or sensitivities too, by running a full panel for those things. Can you switch to someone else?

I would also advise you stop self-medicating for this with OTC meds or creams for now, and instead, start with a fresh, full evaluation from a GYN who is really invested, and only do what they advise and prescribe, and be sure that by all means, you always complete treatments they give/prescribe you.

[swimminginspace]

thanks so much for your advice, this is so helpful!! i'll definitely see if i can see someone new!