Afraid of the gyno........
 

hi, i am new here........recently i have had some irritation/cuts in my vaginal area that, after some extensive research, i have concluded to be a yeast infection. in most of the articles i read, however, it is reccomended that i go see a doctor to make sure it isnt anything more serious.

i admit, i have never been to a gynecologist before. i know it would probably be for the best, but im scared. i have never felt the need to see one before, but i feel really irritated right now and i would do anything for it to stop!

so should i just get an over-the-counter cream, or see if it is something more serious? i should mention that i have never had sex, so an STD is out of the question.

If you are over the age of 18, regardless if you are sexually active or not, you should go to a gynocologist once. It probably is a yeast infection, and about a bazillion different things can cause yeast infections (Do a search on yeast infection onTFP and you will get back scads of threads - or visit the ladies lounge) However, self medicating unless you have had a diagnosis isn't the best thing.

You can always bring your mom, or a sister or a friend to the doctor with you, it's really not that scary -- it's not among my list of favorite things to do.. but it takes only a few moments to give you peace of mind.

(Do a search on TFP for gynocologist - there's a few threads on first time visits as well)

I have heard from more than one person that yeast infections are EXTREMELY itchy and smell bad. Do you shave? How about your underwear- is it cotton, or something like itchy mesh?

I would say go to your doctor. You probably don't need to see a gyno (you can just go to your primary care physician), but like mal said, you should establish a relationship with one when you're 18, sexually active or not. Don't be scared of the gyno; he/she is only looking at you in a professional manner and looked at many other vaginas in their lifetime. :D

You should always go to a doctor with your first possible yeast infection. There are several things it could be besides a yeast infection--bacterial vaginosis among them.

Once you are over 18 and/or sexually active, you should be going to the gyno once a year anyways. Annual exams are far less scary than people make them out to be. While uncomfortable, certainly, there are much worse things to be faced in life, and putting your health at risk instead of facing a little discomfort is not the best thing to do.

Find a good doc and you'll be fine :)

Oh, man, the gyno is SUCH an important thing to do EVERY year! There's nothing to be scared of- you should find a gyno that you like and feel like you can trust(this can be done with your clothes on) and you can have them explain the whole exam beforehand so you know what to expect. Also, any good doctor worth their salt will help you feel better if you tell them you're nervous. A TON of women are nervous their first, second, sixth, tenth time and beyond! However, I would encourage you to go to your regular doctor about your infection- please don't self-medicate until you know what it is! It could be something simple like a reaction to your fabric softener (has happened to me) and if you use a yeast infection OTC treatment then you're just going to make things more out of whack down there! Good luck :thumbsup:

wow, thanks.......no, i am not itchy and it doesn't smell at all. a friend of mine was also skeptical about it being a yeast infection, suggesting that it may be a bladder/kidney infection.........she said i should go to the doctor and they would only take a urine sample. is that true?

If it's a family practice doctor, and how well you are describing the symptoms then possibly. if it's a gynocologist, then a pelvic exam would probably happen. They are honestly not that big a deal... if the doctor is good, he/she will have it over with before you know it's begun.

Kidney/bladder infections can get to be very painful, so you would want it treated as soon as possible...

wow......now im really not sure whats wrong! its not very painful, and it doesnt itch. its just some irritation when i pee/wipe. there are also some cuts that look like paper-cuts. at first i thought it might have been from my boyfriend (dry) fingering me, but its been a while since he has and this irritation hasnt gone away!

I'd still say go to the doctor just to put your mind at ease, if you are concerned about a parent finding out some things you'd rather not have them find out, (and while I don't advocate keeping things from your parents) your mother doesn't have to be in the room with you, nor is the doctor obligated to share anything with her.

You could always go to a planned parenthood clinic and get an exam there.

One of the symptoms of a kidney infection is a pain in the lower back Bladder infection symptoms can often be that constant need to pee. I'm not sure either one is an irritation.

Yeast infections can be more than just itching or an odor, it can be discharge as well.

One additional reason to see your Dr with this is that even though it may very well be a yeast infection, it is common to have a combination of Bacterial Vaginosis and Yeast Infection together. If you treat the one without watching for the other then you could end up with a very painful infection as the other takes over unchecked.

A bladder infection isn't always painful to begin with. Mine always start out with some mild burning and irritation when I urinate.

Go ahead, see your Dr or gyno (I use a regular family practitioner), and get it over with. Knowing for sure what the problem is and treating it in the best way possible will be worth it. Also - there are so many different kinds of yeast medications and some are more potent and consequently more irritating. Seeing your Dr to direct you in the best way for you will be best.

Go.

Get over your fear and go.

It's part of being a responsible (female) adult.

It's not about need, it's about taking care of yourself, getting checkups for important things.

you don't go to the dentist only on need you go for checkups/cleanings, right?

So, do the same with the gyno.