How can you tell?

[petunya]

Well what my problem is, is pretty simple.

***DISCLAIMER: some graphic descriptions follow, not to gross anyone out, but to make this conversation as helpful as possible by being totally open and descriptive***

Everytime something "goes wrong" down there, I freak out that maybe I've got an STD.

The first time, there was some white, smelly discharge from my vagina, and red, itchy irritation on the skin just outside the labia. I freaked out and went to the gyno for a pap smear. She didn't say anything was wrong, and I did some research online and decided that it might be a yeast infection. So I got some treatment for that, and it fixed itself right up.

Now, the skin in my genital area has been really itchy lately. There are red spots, but they are all at the base of the hairs down there... I do shave once in a while, but these bumps appeared when I hadn't shaved in a month (I know what ingrown hairs look like, I get those frequently and these aren't them). And they don't look like pimples, just small red spots.

I've also noticed some discharge and an unpleasant smell. I am wondering if it could be a yeast infection again, but this time it seems different... the itchiness is a lot worse and it's on the outside skin, on the mons and labia... I didn't think that yeast infections could cause an outer rash, could they?

I was thinking that maybe it had something to do with my underwear pulling the hairs and irritating the skin, but it never happened before.

I hope to god that I don't have herpes. I can't think of anything else that could make it itchy like this. I am trying to figure out if I could have gotten it from my most recent bf (we started having sex early September), or the guy I was with before him (in August). How long does something like herpes take to appear?

I don't want to go to the gynecologist again. I just went in July to get tested for STDs, just because I wanted to make absolutely sure that I didn't have anything. I think they'd try to scold me for coming in again, and make me feel like a total whore. I've only had sex with 5 men, and I know that's a lot, but it's not that bad, and I don't plan on racking up the count anytime soon. I don't even know if they tested me for herpes... they did an STD screen and I had them test me for HIV... I don't know if the STD screen checks for herpes, because it's just a urine test.

So, I would love as much advice as possible!! Please please please tell me what you think.

Oh yeah, today I shaved so I could get a better look at what is going on down there, and so far it hasn't been really itchy, but there is definitely some irritation and redness.

[Brandye]

Discharge with an unpleasant smell means there is something wrong. Not necessarily an STD but certainly some form of vaginitis. Don't worry about what anyone thinks of you. If the gyn knew of the smelly discharge, some action should have been taken. If not, tell someone at the office; these things are easily cured.

Go without shaving for a while. Some people simply cannot tolerate the shaving and with the external itchiness, eliminate potential causes and see what happens.