Period talk: Questions and advice

We always use protection, and I make sure things don't end up inside me even then, but this time we had our first real scare when the condom slipped. As for tracking fertile days... honestly, I wouldn't trust it. My cycle is all over the place, and since I wasn't seeing anyone seriously, I didn't see the point in being on the pill. Now I’m thinking about starting them, though I’m constantly fighting a losing battle with my weight and I'm terrified the hormones will make me gain more. But whatever, I guess I just have to deal with it.
Anyway, I went to see my OBGYN last week to talk about my periods and get a plan for the pill, and let me tell you, it was a total letdown. She wouldn't even address why my flow is so weird; she just sent me home because I was still on my period and she couldn't perform an exam or anything. She told me to schedule a Pap smear instead—but by then, I hadn't seen any blood on my pad for two whole days, which just left me even more confused!!
When I asked if there was a chance I was pregnant, she was just like, "Well, it's possible, it's always possible. Take a test, and if it's negative, come back for the Pap. If it's positive, give me a call." Just totally nonchalant. Meanwhile, I've been breaking out in cold sweats from pure anxiety and dread.
So, I'm still stuck in limbo. I haven't learned a thing. I bought a test, but since I'm still spotting a little bit, I'm not sure if it's worth doing it right now or if I should wait until this "period" completely clears out. 🤷
All I know is: public health clinics 👎👎

Hey, can someone please give me a hand here? I'm feeling a bit stuck...
So, I had sex on January 9th—last time we hooked up was then—and my period ran from the 3rd through the 7th. We were active during that window too, but just to be clear, we were using condoms every single time.
Look, I should probably clarify—and I mean really clarify this—that we were definitely using condoms the whole time. And honestly? It’s not like he was ever finishing inside anyway... he always waited until after he took it off. So yeah, just putting that out there.
But honestly? Now I’m starting to get a little uneasy about a few things.
So, I’ve been dealing with this constant, annoying need to run to the bathroom—like, all the time—and it feels like I'm just passing these tiny little amounts of urine every single time. To make matters worse, there’s this sharp, stinging sensation right at the end of it all. It’s pretty irritating, honestly. I guess it might be something minor, but it's definitely getting old.
Maybe it’s just because we were going at it every single day—and before that, we hadn't really done anything for months since we were dealing with a long-distance thing? I guess... maybe that's part of it.
So, I noticed a little bit of blood—like, sort of diluted in my urine—when I went to the bathroom earlier, and honestly, it’s got me a little freaked out. But then I was reading up on it, and apparently, it could just be from overdoing it physically? I was walking around like crazy yesterday—just a ton of steps—so maybe that's what did it? I guess it's probably nothing, but still... it's a bit unsettling.
I really need some help here...

P.S. Also, once summer wrapped up, I was basically glued to the bathroom—like, I had to go constantly, but only tiny amounts would actually come out. There was this annoying little stinging sensation too, which just kept happening until my period finally showed up—and by "finally," I mean it was pretty late.
Thanks!

Jamie Hernandez said:Please, I really need some advice..
The last time we had sex was January 9th, and my period ran from January 3rd to the 7th (we were intimate during those dates, but we used condoms)
I should mention we used protection, and he never even finished inside the condom—it always happened after he took it off.
But now, a few things are starting to worry me.
I’m having to run to the bathroom constantly, passing very small amounts of urine, and there's this stinging sensation at the end of it.
Could this be because we've been having sex every day lately, whereas we hadn't for several months due to being in a long-distance relationship?
Today, I noticed a little bit of blood—just diluted in my urine when I went to the bathroom—and that's unsettling. I read online that it could be from overexertion, and I was walking around quite a lot yesterday, so maybe that's it?
Please help...

P.S. Also, after summer ended, I dealt with the exact same thing—running to the bathroom all day, small amounts, that same stinging feeling. It lasted until my period finally arrived, which had been late for a while.
Thanks!

This isn't about your period. It sounds like a classic case of a bladder infection, which would explain the stinging and the blood in your urine.
My advice? Go see your primary care physician. Ask for a urinalysis and a culture to find out exactly what's going on. If it turns out to be a bacterial infection, a round of antibiotics should clear it right up. I'd suggest doing this sooner rather than later; once you start seeing blood, it usually means the inflammation is getting serious.

driftingviper6 said:Honestly, it’s probably not even about your period—it sounds way more likely that you've got a bladder infection going on, which would explain why it stings when you pee and why there's blood in there.
If you ask me, just go see your primary care doctor ASAP. Ask them to run a urine culture so you can actually figure out what's happening. If it turns out to be a bacterial infection, a round of antibiotics should clear it right up. You really shouldn't wait on this one, because seeing blood in your urine usually means things are getting pretty nasty.

It only happened twice for me today—and that was first thing in the morning right after I woke up. Since then, everything’s been fine this afternoon and my urine looks totally clear... Still, do I seriously need to head to the doctor? I mean, I've never dealt with anything like this before.

Sophia Fisher55 said:Basically, she didn't really explain why my period was acting so strange; she just sent me home because she said she couldn't perform the exam while I was still bleeding—and then told me to schedule a follow-up—but by then, there hadn't been any spotting for two days already, which only left me feeling more confused about the whole situation.

It’s possible she saw some traces of blood during the exam and felt unable to proceed with the checkup🤷 I suppose,

Sophia Fisher55 said:When I asked her if pregnancy was a possibility, she just replied, "Well, it's always possible; take a test, and if it's negative, come back for your follow-up, but if it's positive, give me a call"...:

That sounds like quite an interesting doctor, 😂

Sophia Fisher55 said:I went ahead and bought a test, but since I'm still seeing a little bit of spotting, I'm honestly not sure if it's even worth taking right now... or if I should just wait until this whole thing has completely finished.

I'm really not certain myself... perhaps you could look through the instructions provided with the kit🤷
and see if it mentions how far along you need to be for the results to be reliable; I think there might be a minimum threshold of about a month, though I can't say for sure without checking.

Look, obviously she saw some blood, there's no arguing that. But it feels a little silly that she didn't bother checking what the actual issue was when I explicitly told her my cycle wasn't acting the way it usually does. 😢Anyway, it doesn't matter much right now. I'll just take a test and go from there.🙂 😱If things haven't cleared up by the time the holidays roll around, then I'm going to have a much more serious sit-down with her. 🤔

The instructions say you can use it starting from the very first day your period is late... but mine wasn't even late, it was just incredibly light. Still, I'll get it done this week. I'm going to use a tampon today just to see if there's any lingering spotting left, and if not, I'll probably just run the test tomorrow or the day after.

My period is five days late, even though we always use condoms. We had a couple of close calls where things weren't perfect—like falling asleep right after without showering, so there might have been some contact with leftover semen—but I honestly feel like the chances are basically zero. I was reading online that maybe 2 out of 100 women get pregnant while using protection...
I wouldn't even mind being pregnant, but this whole situation just feels weird.
If I'm not pregnant, what else could be causing this?
Help

hey...
so...
i'm 16. up until now—like, for three solid years—my cycle was pretty much clockwork. maybe a day or two late if I was stressed out over some massive math test or just having a rough week at high school, but that was it. totally painless, no drama, nothing weird.
but then things got messy about 4 or 5 months ago. first, my period was 6 days late. then, a month later (based on how my rhythm used to be), it was 13 days late. then, the following month, it showed up 5 days early. and now? the cramps are absolutely brutal—I've been popping Advil, but honestly, it’s doing basically nothing.
I know, I know—you're probably gonna tell me this is totally normal for a teenager and that missing a month here or there is just part of growing up. even my mom gave me that exact same speech, but I'm still low-key freaking out about it. any advice on what I should actually do?

Yes, that is perfectly normal 🙂

And just a minor observation. When you are doing your math, you shouldn't be calculating based on the cycle you are currently in, but rather the one that preceded it. For instance, if your previous cycle was seven days late, and then this last one... well, I honestly lose track of which cycle you are even counting by now 😂

Since you seem preoccupied with this, you ought to visit a gynecologist for an ultrasound—assuming you are sexually active—because given those pains you mentioned, there is a chance you might have a cyst or perhaps the onset of PCOS. It isn't highly probable if we are strictly looking at your last three cycles, but it remains a distinct possibility

Beyond that, there is a theory a friend of mine shared with me while she was studying biology during one of their sex education seminars. The idea is that if your periods suddenly become painful and stay that way for the rest of your life, it is most likely because that is how they were always meant to be, and those lighter flows you had earlier weren't actually your true baseline. It is merely a theory, of course, but it is possible your ovaries are simply finally functioning the way they are supposed to. If you haven't been sexually active, wait through a few more cycles; however, if things remain this chaotic, go see a doctor. If you have been sexually active, you could wait until next month, but it would be wise to go immediately
That is 😉all I have to say

I switched from birth control pills quite suddenly after finishing my fourth pack, and I ended up getting my period just four days later—that was back on August 1st. Since then, my stomach has been feeling slightly bloated, almost like I’m expecting my period again, and I’ve been having this brownish discharge that looks a bit like jelly.😕
Has anyone else dealt with this, or does anyone actually know what might be going on here?

Anonymous said:That’s true... he probably leaked the whole time...

🙄 What is wrong with you people? Stop scaring the girl. Seriously. I mean, sure, there is a chance of pregnancy if you aren't using a condom, but if he pulls out, the odds are pretty low. I don't understand why everyone is suddenly acting like an expert or lecturing her on sex ed when most of you clearly missed those classes yourselves.

Rachel Price5 said:My period is five days late, even though we used condoms every single time. There were a few moments where I thought there might be a risk—like if we fell asleep right after and things got a little messy during cleanup—but I assume the odds are basically zero. I was reading online yesterday that maybe 2 out of 100 women get pregnant while using protection...
I wouldn't mind being pregnant, but this whole situation feels strange...
If I'm not pregnant, then what's going on with me?
Help

I think I've seen you posting on another subforum with this exact same question... 😁 You actually got some solid answers over there. It's highly unlikely you'd get pregnant just from contact after he's finished, regardless of how much skin touched. If you decide to start up again immediately, then sure, anything is possible, but based on what you described, I don't think it's happening. That "2 out of 100" statistic usually refers to the cases where the condom actually fails... 😁 I hope you aren't part of that unlucky group... 🙂

Anthony Booth6 said:I'm 16, and my period is 5 days late.
My boyfriend and I have regular sex, and we always use condoms, but one day right after my period ended, we had sex without a condom, though he didn't finish inside me.
Is it possible that I'm pregnant?😕😕
Also, we just had a holiday break where I was sleeping until 2 or 3 in the afternoon, but now that school has started back up, I'm waking up really early every day. Could that be why my period is late?

Thanks.

I don't want to come off as harsh... but being 16 and having sex while knowing less about it than a toddler is honestly pretty scary.
Is it possible you're pregnant? Yes.
What are the odds? They're very slim, but they definitely exist.

Good luck.

Has anyone here actually dealt with suddenly stopping birth control? I’m asking because I finished my fourth pack and stopped, then got my period, but then two weeks later I had this brown discharge and my nipples were aching like I was about to get my period again—except it never happened. The discharge and the pain eventually cleared up... but I’m not due for my next cycle until next week. Any idea what's going on?

Hey girls! I’ve got a bit of an urgent question for you all. So, here's the deal... I had my period last week, starting right around January 15th and it wrapped up on the 21st. The thing is, I was supposed to start taking my birth control—I'm on Diane—on the 17th, which would have been the eighth day of my break, but I totally missed it. And now? I just went to the bathroom and realized I'm bleeding again. Like, seriously, it's only been a week since the last one ended and here we are. I actually went in for an ultrasound on the 23rd and everything checked out perfectly fine, so I'm honestly just lost. Does anyone know why this would happen? Why would it come back only seven days after the last one finished?

Oh, I totally forgot to mention... it’s more like dark blood? Could that actually be ovulation? I mean, I’m taking Glucophage, and I read somewhere that it can actually trigger ovulation, but then again, I’m also on Diane... so honestly, I have no clue what's even going on anymore!

Sophia Young3 said:Has anyone here dealt with suddenly quitting birth control? I’m asking because I stopped taking my pills after the fourth one, and it triggered a period right away. Then, about two weeks later, I started dealing with this brown discharge and my nipples were so sore I thought my period was coming back, but it never did. The discharge eventually cleared up and the soreness went away, but now I’m just sitting here wondering what's going on since my actual period isn't due until next week.

Look, if you’re going to start something, you might as well see it through to the end. You shouldn't have even taken that first sip if you weren't prepared to finish the whole damn drink.
Look, what you had was just a fluke because you completely threw your body out of whack. Honestly, if I were you, I wouldn't expect to see anything regular again for at least another month—though, who knows, I don't know what your cycle is actually like.
Look, just speaking from my own experience here—and I’m fully aware I might be dead wrong on this one—but that's just how it played out for me.

Hannah Bishop said:Hey ladies! I’ve got an urgent question here. So, basically, my period started last week, right around January 15th, and lasted until the 21st. The thing is, I was supposed to start back up on my Diane pills on the 17th—which would have been the eighth day of my break—but I totally missed it. Fast forward to today, I go to the bathroom and realize I’m bleeding again on my daily pad. It’s only been a week since the last one ended, and now it's back. I actually went in for an ultrasound on the 23rd and everything looked perfectly fine, so I’m genuinely stumped. Why on earth am I bleeding again just seven days after finishing?

That’s completely normal since you didn't get back on your pills on schedule.
Don't sweat it, you're fine...👍

So, I just got my results back and hit a 5.2 on the scale... which honestly feels pretty weak, right?
Could this be because of the birth control? Since I stopped taking them, things feel different. Back when I was still on the pill, my levels were always super high! Plus, my cycle finally showed up on day 22, which is the first time it’s acted like this since I quit the medication. Makes you wonder, doesn't it?

Sophia Young3 said:Has anyone dealt with the side effects of suddenly stopping birth control? I finished my fourth pack and stopped, then had a period, followed by some brown discharge two weeks later. My breasts were aching like I was about to start my cycle again, but nothing happened. The discharge and the pain eventually stopped, but I’m not due for my next one until next week.

I had the exact same experience. It happened just this month. Now the aches are back, making it feel like my period is imminent.