Scarleteen

I had sex for the first time on June 9th; my partner said he was clean, and so we didn't use a condom (he didn't even bring one otherwise I would have gotten one myself, but we were already in action by the time I realized and I was too nervous to tell him I didn’t want to do anything without one) and I took a Plan B afterwards just to be safe. In that time afterwards, I had stomach pain and diarrhea, which I believe is normal for women after taking it. Anyway, I started my period a few days ago with some pretty rough cramping, but I was glad I got it because it meant I wasn't pregnant. Now my period is ending, but there is extreme irritation and itching of my vaginal entrance. The skin flaps around it are swollen, and it causes discomfort when sitting. I worry that it is an STD of some sort or an infection, like a UTI or a yeast infection, but I don't have pain when I pee and I don't have any discharge or foul odors. It’s just reaaaaaaallly itchy and I’m worried about what it could be. I don’t have medical insurance right now as my parents kicked me from theirs when I turned 18, and I don’t know a way to set an appointment otherwise, so asking this forum is the only thing I could think of.

Hi hannah7111,

Ouch, that sounds really uncomfortable! While we can give you some possibilities as to what it might be, we can't diagnose you the way a healthcare provider can. The symptoms you describe do sound like an infection of some kind, including a possible yeast infection (those aren't always caused by sex). And if they aren't going away, then your best bet is to connect with a healthcare provider. Something we can definitely help with is figuring out how to get you connected to that kind of service now that you're not on your parents insurance. For starters, have you taken a look at what kinds of clinics are in your area?

In the bigger picture, can I ask why you felt nervous about asking to not have sex unless there was a condom? Was it about how your partner would react, or something else?

It was just my first time and I was really nervous, I didn't want to do anything wrong or come off as silly or overly-cautious, and I assumed he knew what he was doing since he wasn't a virgin so I just didn't say anything about it. Next time I do anything, I'll make sure to have one, but I assumed he would've brought one and didn't want to mess anything up by insisting he use one.

Nerves are understandable the first time you're sexual with another person, but I want to assure you it's not silly to have limits around what kind of risks your comfortable taking during sex, especially when you're the person who's at greater risk of pregnancy. And if insisting that sex only happen with protection ends up messing things up, that's a sign that partner was a not a person to be having sex with, since any decent partner will care about your health and comfort. Too, just because someone has had sex before and you haven't doesn't automatically mean they know more than you do, especially when it comes to your own comfort. Does that all make sense?

It does, thank you; I will insist on it from now on, because I really want to stay safe. I just submitted an application for Medicaid, so if that goes through I'll be able to find a health provider and get this all checked out. I hope it isn't an STD, and is just a yeast infection or something

Right on! Submitting that application is a good step. If it's taking too long for it to go through and the itching still isn't gone, you may also be able to find clinics that can help you even if you don't have insurance.

Too, even if this is an STI, it's not the end of the world; most STIs are curable (often through antibiotics, just like a yeast infection), and those that aren't are treatable.