One thing I think you can do is check in with your partner and see if they have thoughts on this. It sounds like your partner hasn't directly disclosed abuse, but if you're getting the idea from things they've said, I think you might be able to say something like "I get the idea that things are...

That's good! So as Heather said, you know that pregnancy was successfully terminated but it's a good idea to just check back in with a doctor since while this may just be the normal resetting of your system causing a false positive, it's best to know for sure!

Sounds like a good plan!

Like I said, there's no way to know. It would be irresponsible for us to guess what a bump could be when we can't see it. But there are plenty of non-serious things that could be, like a pimple or ingrown hair as I mentioned before.

Honestly, this is something we just can't diagnose or identify without seeing it. You may be noticing an ingrown hair or pimple; they can happen on labia as well as other parts of the body. If you notice it's hurting or swollen for several days, you could check in with a doctor, otherwise it's best ...

Hi Kim, It certainly sounds like you're in pain enough that it's worth talking to the doctor again. We can't know exactly why you're feeling this pain; it might be related to the birth control, the cysts, or something else entirely. Since your doctor's suggestion of taking your pill at a different t...

You're welcome! It sounds like you might be getting a chest cold, if you're noticing congestion as well.

We can't really determine exactly what kind of pain you're feeling, but in general breast soreness or tenderness is going to be an ache that feels like it's in or just beneath the breast tissue itself; it might feel tight or sore or more sensitive to pressure. Chest pain won't be in just the breast ...

Hi ratperson, I wanted to echo what Edith said in the comment above - can you talk to your mom about this, and ask her to step back a bit and not try to force a closer relationship, or "peace," between you and your bio-mom when that isn't what you want? If she knows that you now know your ...

Our main site, where you submitted that question, actually uses a different account from our message boards. So if you only logged in there before, and not here, that's why you couldn't log in here - you hadn't registered for the message boards yet. If you had registered for the message boards befor...

Honestly, I'm not sure why that article says either of those things. I've heard from many folks who have heavier periods and love the menstrual cup specifically because it has a pretty large capacity and is unlikely to leak. My experience with it was a long time ago but I had heavy menstrual flow an...

You're quite welcome! Feel free to come back with more questions if any come up after you read those articles. =)

Hi Valentina, and welcome to the forums! :) I think these articles might be a good starting place where you can read more about arousal and sexual response: Sexual Response & Orgasm: A Users Guide How to Understand, Identify and Make Choices About Desire Many people find that there's a period of...

Another thing to keep in mind is that so much of arousal and sexual response is tied up in mental and emotional components; if you're feeling tired, stressed, or distracted when masturbating, that can be enough to make arousal or orgasm more difficult.

I think some of this can just come down to what you said about masturbation - if you don't find the idea appealing, it's not likely to be that enjoyable to you. Like Jacob said, our minds and mental engagement are a huge part of sexual pleasure. Even types of sexual touch that feel really good durin...

I think soft_masc had great thoughts up there, but I want to chime in too! So much of sexual response, whether it's alone or with a partner, is wrapped up in your current emotional state or stress level at the time. If you aren't feeling really aroused, or are preoccupied with something else in your...

There's a really wide range of ways that people express their gender, regardless of orientation; plenty of gay men are femme-identified or feminine, just as many aren't. So that certainly makes sense to me. It sounds like this might be something to spend a little more time thinking about, in terms o...

I'm not aware of any issues with echinacea and the implant, but your doctor will be the best person to consult about any interactions with your implant, and nutrition/health issues as well. If you aren't happy with the conversation you had with your current doctor, you could try getting a referral t...

We really can't diagnose this over the internet. Since you've noticed this burning and tingling for several days now, I think it would be fine to check in with a doctor. That's going to be the only way for you to know what's causing these feelings.

soft_masc, I'm glad your doctor was able to work with you so you could do your own swab and have a less stressful testing experience. I had a full screening last year as part of my annual exam, and it just meant I had to urinate in a cup and that I had some extra blood drawn at that visit; I already...

There certainly are a lot of tired tropes in romance/sexuality narratives. I do agree that the concept of "taking" someone's virginity is pretty gross. Setting aside the fact that virginity is a concept that doesn't have a set definition or universal meaning, setting up any kind of sex as ...

Like I said, it could be something else. We really can't speak to what this could be; I just mentioned that since it's something we know about that fits that symptom. If you're concerned your best bet is to see a doctor as they would know what other causes to investigate.

Arousal is something that people can experience in different ways - and even one person can experience it in different ways at different times. Some folks will have a lot of "ambient" arousal, where they might have arousing thoughts or feelings happen pretty spontaneously in life. Others m...

It's great that your tests came back negative! As a side note - we do encourage people not to use the word "clean" to describe testing negative for STIs, since folks who do have them aren't dirty, you know?

When people have cold sores, a tingling feeling can be a sign of an oncoming sore. However, we can't know if that's what's happening with you right now. If you do get any sort of open sore on your lips soon, it's probably a good idea to have a doctor check it out.