Something else? Ask Aunt Vadge – bottom left of your screen!PCOS (now PMOS): polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) – now polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) – links insulin, androgen and ovulation imbalances.
Aunt Vadge: is this what sex is supposed to feel like?
First-time sex that felt like pressure, pain and a small tear is very normal – here's what to expect, why arousal is everything, and when to see a doctor.
Aunt Vadge: I slipped – will my clitoris be ok or should I go to the hospital?
Fell and hurt your clitoris or vulva, with swelling and trouble walking? Get it checked to rule out a haematoma – plus how to care for it while it heals.
Aunt Vadge: sticky, spotting – will I be ok?
A little spotting after fingering is usually a fingernail nick, the hymen, or a benign gland draining – here's how to tell, and when to get checked.
Vulvar or vestibular papillomatosis
Small fingerlike projections grow out from the vulva (labia minora or vestibule), which can be (but are not always) related to HPV infection.
Aunt Vadge: clitoral hood is disintegrating after a fingernail accident
Genital tissue that's breaking down over time is not a home-remedy situation – here's why this needs a doctor, and where to get seen.
Coping with the shame associated with BV
Shame associated with BV and other vaginal disorders can be debilitating.
Aunt Vadge: masturbating causes me to have back pain for a week
A 28-year-old gets back and leg pain for up to 10 days after masturbating - a classic sign of an overactive pelvic floor, and a job for a pelvic health physio.
Aunt Vadge: strange growths around my urethra
A 20-year-old noticed a small growth by her urethra that bleeds with sex after her first time - usually benign, but it needs examining in person.
The Depo Provera and BV – help or hindrance?
We discuss the impact of the Depo Provera contraceptive injection on BV.
Aunt Vadge: my vulva is peeling and itchy, my clitoris painful
A 21-year-old has an itchy, peeling vulva with clitoral pain and small recurring cuts - most likely a vulval skin condition that needs diagnosing in person.
Understanding diabetes and an itchy, yeasty vagina
Women with diabetes and blood sugar dysregulation get more yeast infections due to high glucose levels in the vagina feeding the yeasts.
Aunt Vadge: why am I bleeding when my boyfriend fingers me?
A virgin keeps bleeding when her boyfriend fingers her - usually the hymen stretching plus friction grazes, and going slower with lube sorts it out.
Vulvar and vaginal tinea (tinea genitalis, ringworm)
Vulvar and vaginal tinea is a skin fungal infection that may present with dry, itchy, sore skin around the genital/crotch area.
Aunt Vadge: weird dry, itchy bumps on my labia
A 19-year-old has a dry, itchy patch on her labia that won't go away and worries it's herpes - far more likely a vulval skin condition that needs diagnosing.
Aunt Vadge: I now bleed heavily after being fingered even though I’m not cut…
A 22-year-old bleeds heavily every time her partner fingers her - most likely benign cervical ectropion, but persistent contact bleeding needs a proper check.
Aunt Vadge: my vagina smells like something died in it
Her vagina smells like something died up there when she gets her period. What is it and how can she fix it?
Aunt Vadge: tear that hasn’t healed in three months
A young reader has a labial tear that hasn't healed in three months and is scared to see a doctor - why it needs examining, and how to get seen confidentially.
Aunt Vadge: my shower head cut me while masturbating – will I be ok?
A young reader split the skin under her clitoral hood with a shower head and it hasn't healed in a year - why it needs checking, and how to get seen.
Aunt Vadge: my partner just wants to finger me and try to make me squirt, but I hate it
A 61-year-old's partner could only orgasm by fingering her to squirt, which she hated - on bodily autonomy, pressure, and when incompatibility is reason to leave.