Question: I have dark skin all along the inner part of my legs where the legs connect with the upper body (near private area) and also on my underarms. What is this caused by and can it be treated? Would this turn off a guy during sexual intercourse?
Answer: I am not a doctor so I can only provide general information.
A possible cause is a skin condition called Erythrasma.
Source: Vulval Diseases: A Practical Guide to Diagnosis and Management by C.M. Ridley, A.J. Robinson & J.D. Oriel
Cause: This condition is caused by Corynebacterium minutissimum, which forms part of the normal skin flora but may overgrow and cause a rash in warm climates or in debilitated people.
Appearance: Genital erythrasma affects the groins and natal cleft, where is forms an itchy eruption of brownish scaly patches.
Diagnosis: Erythrasma must be distinguished from tinea cruris, flexural eczema, and seborrhoeic dermatitis. Under Wood's light, it may show a coral-red fluorescence, and Corynebacterium minutissimum can be cultured on special media.
Treatment: The preferred treatment is oral erythromycin 250 mg four times a day for 2 weeks. Recurrence is common, and clotrimazole cream may be useful for long-term therapy.
Please see the information on the websites linked to below:
http://www.emedicine.com/DERM/topic140.htm
http://dermnetnz.org/bacterial/erythrasma.html
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001470.htm
http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/e/erythrasma/intro.htm
http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec18/ch211/ch211d.html
Other vulval diseases are described on the following web page:
http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic3295.htm
Question: I'm wondering if you could help. . . I've been on birth control for about four years and nothing has really changed in my routine. . . I've had the same boyfriend for five years, I have the same schedule the only thing different really is that I go to the gym regularly. . . anyways, my nipples have been constantly erect for almost two weeks now. My breasts don't hurt, and neither do my nipples until they're directly touched or squeezed. We do have a nipple 'thing' and are sometimes a little too playful but now I can't really bear to have them pinched they're so sensitive! This has never happened before and I'm wondering if there is something wrong? I mean. . . I wake up and they're hard, I go on a walk they're hard, I'm having dinner. .. it never stops!!! aah! I don't think I'm pregnant, but its not out of the question.. and it doesn't really bother me.. cause it looks great hehe...
Anyways, any opinion or advice would be greatly appreciated. .. I think its not really something worth seeing a doctor about.
Answer: I am not a doctor so I can only provide general information.
One possibility is that your nipples are being slightly irritated by your bra if your breasts are moving about during your workouts at the gym. I know joggers can experience nipple irritation. Placing a Band-Aid over your nipples would solve this problem. If your bra has seams going across the cups this is more likely to occur.
If they had always been erect then I would say there is nothing to be concerned about, but changes in the breasts should be brought to a doctor's attention, at least a phone call, if your bra isn't the cause.
Question: I cut myself while shaving my pubic area, what should I do?
Answer: I
am not a doctor so I can only provide general information.
I can only advise you to follow normal wound care procedures. Wash with soap
and water and apply an antibiotic ointment, this may reduce the itching. You
may have to wear a skirt or dress and loose fitting underwear or go
without underwear until it starts to heal. It should heal within a few days.
If it does not heal, becomes red and inflamed please consult a doctor.
Information on pubic shaving can be found here.
Question: Great website! I have a question. This is something that has been bothering me for years and I just wanted to get your opinion on it. First of all, I am a single 39 year old lesbian who is somewhat on the feminine side. The fastest way for me to become sexually aroused when masturbating is to think of a man, and often a gay man becoming sexually aroused. It's a fantasy where I'm the guy and I'm getting aroused in front of someone (sometimes I'm famous and it's a photo shoot) and it's totally beyond my control. Usually it ends with the other person noticing the erection and them getting aroused too (usually a guy). Is this weird or what? Why would a lesbian think of gay men? There is no contact between the men in the fantasies... just looking. I often put a dildo in my pants and kind of "act it out." I think I have a lot of shame about this. Sometimes I masturbate thinking of other women, but it's not as fast or easy. But I don't feel bad or guilty after the second type of masturbating (when I'm identifying as a woman). Should I be worried? Thanks for answering.
Answer: Your fantasy does not sound unusual at all and you are not alone in your experience. I have read advice pages for lesbians where women wrote in to ask if it was normal to be a lesbian that fantasized about men in sexual situations, or to enjoy gay porn. Generally, the more taboo something is the more erotic it is. Fantasizing about sex with men when you are a lesbian is much like heterosexual women who fantasize about sex with women. It is extremely arousing because it is so naughty and unrelated to reality, what you would actually do. I don't believe it is unusual for women to be curious about having a penis, to experience it, even if they are comfortable being a feminine women. So enjoy the pleasure your fantasies provide. This is a subject that is addressed in more detail on the page about sexual orientation.
Question: Hi, I am a 30 year old woman and my partner has had a vasectomy.. hence we do not use protection during intercourse, although we have both been tested prior to our relationship for infection and both had clear results. Shortly after we started having sex I noticed that I had a strong odor coming from my Vagina, which does not seem to leave until we have a few days abstinence from sex, and then as soon as we have sex again the odor comes back. The odor is strong and I can smell it while fully clothed and catch whiffs as I am walking around etc. This does not happen when using condoms and there is no smell when he does not ejaculate inside me. Can you tell me what causes this. Do we have different pH balances in vagina to his semen?
Answer: I am not a doctor so I can only provide general information not a medical diagnosis.
The likely scenario is that his ejaculate or your own sexual arousal is changing the pH of your vaginal environment, which results in a short term overgrowth of bacteria, the bacteria are what cause the change in your scent. The bacteria present in your vagina, and perhaps normally there, take advantage of the less acidic environment to flourish.
The information on the following PDF file that you can download says it is possible you have a low grade case of Bacterial Vaginosis that becomes more intense following unprotected intercourse.
http://www.youngwomenshealth.org/vaginitis.html
Here are some links to additional information:
http://www.fpnotebook.com/Gyn/Lab/VgnlPh.htm
Question: I wash very well, but I notice a sort of ring around the glans of my clitoris when I move the hood completely out of the way, it's a thin line of white stuff. I try to gently wash it away, but it won't go away. What is it?
Answer: I am not a doctor so I can only provide general information not a medical diagnosis.
The white substance is likely collected sebum which is normally produced by glands in the area. When it collects together it is called smegma, as is the case with the male penis.
You can read more about this and see a photo on the following page:
Perhaps applying some antibiotic ointment or Vaseline, they are petroleum based and wont be absorbed readily into the skin, may help to soften the smegma and make it easier to remove. You may need to apply the ointment and then wait several hours before trying to remove the smegma. Apply at bedtime and rinse in the morning.
When you care for your vulva get in the habit of retracting your clitoral hood and rinsing under it with plain water to rinse away accumulated sebum.
Sebum is normal and natural and does not pose a health risk. Please see the following page about hygiene:
Question: Can somebody tell me why my clit is always tingly even though I don't touch it. From worried 13 year old.
Answer: I am not doctor so I can provide only general information not a medical diagnosis.
It is important to know if the sensation is the result of sexual arousal, irritation, or infection.
The first thing you should do is know how to care for your vulva correctly so please read the page about hygiene linked to below. This takes little effort, if anything you have to be careful not to do too much. This page will also make you aware of things like your clothing or bathing habits that may irritate the clitoris and vulva.
The glands under the clitoral hood produce a white substance called sebum. While this is a normal and natural fluid it can accumulate, harden, and cause irritation. You can read about this on the page about clitoral adhesions linked to below.
The area under the clitoral hood can be the location of infection, like a yeast infection. This would likely be indicated by redness, irritation, and/or itching. You can learn more about this on the page about vaginitis linked to below. If you believe you have an infection a doctor's visit would be necessary.
During early puberty the amount of the hormone testosterone increases in your body and is the cause of sexual desire. This can result in strong sexual feelings in young women. You may find yourself frequently sexually aroused or having sexual thoughts. Women experience clitoral erections that may cause noticeable changes in the clitoris, like pulsing and throbbing. Your can learn more about these subjects on the pages about sexual desire and arousal linked to below.
It is likely necessary for you to learn to masturbate to help relief these feelings and to address your sexual desire in a positive way.
If you have further questions please feel free to write again.
Question: I had child paralyze when I was little. Now I can walk but my legs can't be spread a lot. My vagina can. I'm still a virgin and I want to have sexual relations. My boyfriend is basketball player and he loves going fast. Will I possibly have problem?
Answer: It depends on how much you are able to spread your legs. Most sexual positions require the woman to spread her legs at least as wide as her partner's body. There are a couple positions that come to mind that would not require you to spread your legs; with you standing upright or bent at the waist, laying side-by-side (spooning), and sitting on your partner's lap. You can see more positions on the pages linked to below.
Please read the pages about virginity linked to below to know how to prepare for your first experience with intercourse. Your partner should read the information presented too.
Regardless of what your partner may like or want to do he needs to accept and fulfill your needs first, if he is a caring partner and deserves to have sex with you. If he isn't willing to go slow and help you learn then he shouldn't be allowed to have sex with you. Just because he has had sex before doesn't mean he knows anymore than you do. Just because he has had sex doesn't mean he is automatically good at it.
Question: If my partner has a hysterectomy, including the removal of her cervix, will that remove a third of her Vagina?
Answer: I am not a doctor, but my guess is that the length of the vagina should not be shortened significantly by this procedure, unless the doctors are intentionally removing part of the vagina.
You might have a look at the information on the websites linked to below.
http://www.estronaut.com/a/hysterectomy_info.htm
On the second page linked to it states the following:
"If your surgical procedure required making the vagina shorter, deep thrusting during sex may be uncomfortable or even painful. Being on top and controlling the penetration during intercourse may help, or you can try bringing your legs together a bit. This may make sex more comfortable and satisfying."
Question: If my partner has a partial or complete hysterectomy with the removal of her ovaries with this cause a loss of sensation in her clitoris?
Answer: She should not lose sensation in her clitoris. If she experiences uterine contractions during orgasm or enjoys deep penetration or stimulation of her cervix she may no longer experience this. Some side effects will depend on how the blood supply to her pelvic organs will be changed or decreased following surgery.
If her ovaries are removed her reduced production of estrogen and testosterone could result in decreased lubrication, sensation, and desire.
Question: Are there tests that can be done before and after surgery to determine if there has been a loss of sensation?
Answer: There are tests that can be done to determine the level of sensation, but your doctor may not have access to them. Doing these test may be a bit too mechanical and will not take into account the emotional aspects of the surgery, positive or negative. I would not recommend them. If she does experience loss of sensation, test or no test, will not change this fact nor will then necessarily offer a solution.
Question: I have a problem and I am afraid to go to a doctor, and cannot find a more helpful medical web page. When I was growing up, sex and my body were taboo topics. I knew some things from sex-ed (basically just about the vagina), but I didn't know what the clitoris was, didn't know that my secreting fluids or the "white cheesy stuff that I can't remember the name" is normal, didn't know that bumps were normal. So at some point I started playing with myself and I am afraid I may have done a little FGM, not sure though. I have a vague memory of finding a small bump and twisting and messing with it until it came off. Maybe it was just a cyst or something, but is it possible that I pulled off my clitoris?! This was a long time ago, I didn't think it was normal to have that bump, and nothing has happened to me since, but.. I can't seem to find my clit when masturbating, and I don't seem to get that "white cheesy" stuff anymore now that I think of it. Weird thing is, a guy can still arouse me by oral or fingering in the area where the clitoris should be, and the one who has gone down on me didn't say anything was weird down there. The point of this is, I'm just concerned that since I cannot find a distinct clitoris myself and I do remember messing with something down there when I was younger, could I have pulled it off? Or is that not possible?
I am quite scared that I have ruined my body and someone will notice, and I know I need to see a doctor but I cannot afford to, so I'm hoping you might be able to answer this or direct me to a more medical site.
Answer: If you had removed your clitoris I would expect there to have been considerable pain and bleeding involved. If you do not recall pain and bleeding is seems less likely that you removed your clitoris. The clitoral body is usually soft unless the clitoris is erect and the clitoral glans and hood are always soft, so it is unlikely they would have felt like a hard lump or bump.
Please have a look at the photos of the vulva in the Body Image section of the website linked to below and then examine your vulva using a mirror.
Additional help locating the clitoris can be found on the following page:
The white substance, called sebum, is produced throughout the vulva, not just under the clitoral hood. The page about hygiene has a photograph showing accumulated sebum between the inner and outer labia.
It is possible your clitoris is hidden by adhesions, or you may have caused an injury that when healed concealed the clitoris. You can read about adhesions on the page linked to below.