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Hi Aunt Vadge,
My boyfriend and I tried to have sex. He used a condom but couldn’t get it in – I’m a virgin, and it hurt. Since that day I’ve been itching down there, with a foul odour and discharge. He also fingered me and I bled – is that a good thing? I’m 21.
Yours,
Confused
Dear Confused,
Itching with a foul odour and discharge points to a bacterial imbalance or infection – often bacterial vaginosis (BV) – so the sensible move is to get a swab from your doctor or a sexual health clinic. The sooner you do, the sooner it’s sorted. It started around the time you were sexually active, which makes checking it properly all the more worthwhile.
A condom lowers the risk of a sexually transmitted infection, but skin-to-skin contact – his penis against your vulva – can still pass some infections, so a test is the only way to know for sure rather than guess.
The bleeding from fingering
Bleeding after being fingered is usually a small tear or graze from things being too rough or too dry, rather than anything sinister. On its own it’s not alarming, but paired with the odour and discharge, it’s worth having everything looked at together.
How this affects your vagina
An imbalance like BV shifts your discharge and smell and can leave the tissue feeling raw and irritable. Once it’s identified and treated, the balance and comfort come back.
For next time, going slowly, being really aroused first, and using plenty of lube makes penetration far more comfortable and much less likely to cause tears. Learning each other’s bodies together helps – there’s more in our female sexuality section.
A new foul smell with discharge is always worth getting properly checked – our practitioners would want a swab, plus an STI screen if there’s any chance of exposure, because testing is what tells you what’s actually driving it.
Warmest regards,
Aunt Vadge
This is general information, not a substitute for personalised medical advice.
