Scarleteen

hi guys. i’m posting this because i’m totally freaking out and have ZERO idea what to do. my period has been going since tuesday of last week, and it’s been heavy enough to fill tampons and such but i’m worried since the length is much longer than normal. it’s been about 7-8 days and since this weekend the blood has lightened enough to where i only need to wear a pantyliner. my cramps were very tolerable, and there hadn’t been any particular symptoms that have made me raise an eyebrow. however, i’m panicking because i’m worried it’s a complication of an sti i had very recently. my boyfriend and i both contracted gonorrhea (he’d had it before we started seeing each other and didn’t know) and while we both got tested and finished our medication, we had a potential reinfection risk on the last day or so of his medication, when i had finished mine already. i’m so scared that somehow he’s passed it back to me and now it’s developed into PID. i’ve made arrangements to see a doctor as soon as humanly possible, but i don’t know how to calm down. my mom says stress could have a huge part to play, as my classes and home life have placed a lot of strain on me as of late. (i got my period a whole week early so perhaps she’s right). i don’t know what to do. i’m too scared to be with my boyfriend sexually (though i want to, and he’s been very understanding and not pressuring me) it’s so hard because i’m paranoid i’ll reinfect him and then he’ll have to get retreated. his parents are pretty involved when it comes to him and doctors visits as well, and i don’t want his parents thinking i sleep around if he ends up needing another dose to get rid of the sti again. ugh. any words of encouragement/support would be immensely appreciated.

Hi nyxoxo,
I'm so sorry you're having all this stress and anxiety around this situation. I was wondering if you'd had a chance to read Sam's response on your last post? She explained the risk part pretty well (it's unlikely you passed it back to him since you were done with your treatment, however slighly less unlikely he passed it back to you if he wasn't done). I'm really glad you did already make an appointment with a doctor since they can give you actual answers, but I know you still gave anxiety in the meantime. When are you seeing the doctor? And have you tried to talk to your boyfriend, what does he say about this, does he help you calm down a bit or does talking to him make you more anxious?

hi sofi! thanks so much for responding so quickly! my boyfriend has been really supportive and encouraged me to go to the doctor, and has listened to my concerns. he helped me calm down a bit more today as he told me i did get reinfected that we can always just get retreated, and that sometimes certain strains are antibiotic resistant so if his parents have any questions it won’t look bad on my part. he also mentioned that since i had very obvious and noticeable symptoms last time that if i’m not exhibiting the same symptoms then i shouldn’t stress myself out too much. i visit my doctor at a health department, and it just so happens that I have a psychiatrist appointment tomorrow, so i’ll pop over to the women’s health wing and see if there’s a chance they can either schedule an appointment or see me straight away if they have a spot open.

I like him, he made wonderful points! definitely try to see someone soon, with these things it's always better to know as soon as possible. It might help, in the meantime, to focus on the fact that *if* you did get reinfected, everything is going to be okay! Your boyfriend will be supportive (especially since you're in this together), his parents won't think any less of you, and you'll have quick medical treatment for it. So try to take some deep breaths and distract your mind tonight with a good TV show or a good book!