Something else? Ask Aunt Vadge – bottom left of your screen!Aunt Vadge: sex really hurts – why?
First-time sex unbearably painful, won't go in, and the lube burns? Usually it's arousal - but if you're aroused and it still won't, that's vaginismus, and it's treatable.
Aunt Vadge: we used a condom, I had my period, could I be pregnant?
Used a condom while on your period but still worried you're pregnant? You're safe - but for the right reason (the condom). 'Can't get pregnant on your period' is a myth.
Aunt Vadge: how do I bring up sex with my boyfriend (and what about my vagina’s taste?)
How to bring up sex with your partner, whether you're too young, and why you taste sour (spoiler: that's a healthy vagina). Warm, honest answers to all three.
Aunt Vadge: do I have herpes even though the test was negative?
Recurrent posterior fourchette tear but two negative herpes swabs? It's not herpes. The real drivers are yeast, dry friction (use the lube!), and a possible skin condition.
Aunt Vadge: small dot on posterior fourchette that won’t go away
A single sore spot on the fourchette since menopause that won't heal? Likely fragile low-oestrogen skin - and a local E3 cream isn't the HRT you're avoiding. Plus, get it examined.
Aunt Vadge: I have deep vaginal pain during and after sex
Deep, crampy pain during and after sex? It's deep dyspareunia - often a bumped cervix or tight pelvic floor (both fixable). But take the endometriosis flag seriously.
Aunt Vadge: I plucked my pubic hair and now have red bumps – why?
Plucked your pubic hair and now have red bumps? It's folliculitis - inflamed follicles - and why it happens depends on each hair's growth cycle. How to soothe it.
Aunt Vadge: I’m scared of my doctor doing a pelvic exam
Terrified of a pelvic exam, a male doctor, or the speculum? You may not even need one - self-collection HPV screening means no speculum. Plus your rights, and the tips.
Aunt Vadge: is stress and anxiety affecting my vagina?
Cyclical discharge, itching and pain but negative for BV and yeast? Stress genuinely affects vaginal health - and cyclical, test-negative symptoms point to cytolytic vaginosis.
Aunt Vadge: could I be pregnant if I had my period?
Missed two pills, had unprotected sex, and worried you're pregnant? This is a genuine risk - so act now: emergency contraception works within 5 days. Plus the next steps.
Aunt Vadge: I’ve lost a grape inside my vagina
Lost a grape (or anything) deep in your vagina? It can't get lost - the vagina ends at the cervix. The safe way to get it out, and when to pop to a clinic.
Aunt Vadge: vagina feels funny during fingering
Two fingers hurt sometimes but not other times, and you feel 'strange' things inside? That very inconsistency means you're normal - it's arousal, and your own anatomy.
Aunt Vadge: paper cuts around my vaginal entrance
Paper-cut cracks at your vaginal entrance during sex but negative STI tests? It's not herpes - it's yeast weakening the skin plus dry friction. The two-pronged fix.
Aunt Vadge: Bartholin abscess stitches still hurt
Old Bartholin abscess site hurting months later? Get it checked - but masturbation isn't the cause (it's a blocked duct). Warm sitz baths help, plus the repeat-cyst fix.
Aunt Vadge: sex mishap has split my vulva
An inch-long vulva tear from a sex slip that bled a lot? The area is very vascular so the blood looks dramatic - but get a gaping open tear seen promptly to heal neatly.
Aunt Vadge: cuts around clitoral hood – is it herpes?
Recurring paper-cut splits by your clitoris - is it herpes? Probably not; herpes is painful sores, not thin cuts. The likely causes are friction, yeast, or a skin condition.
Aunt Vadge: is laser hair removal on the vagina safe?
Is laser hair removal 'on the vagina' safe? Yes - on the external hair, never inside. Safety is all about an experienced tech and a laser matched to your skin tone.
Aunt Vadge: I’m on the pill getting two periods a month
Getting two periods a month on a progestogen-only pill like Norgeston? Irregular bleeding is its #1 side effect - there's no oestrogen to steady the lining. What to do.
Aunt Vadge: I’m a guy with some questions!
A curious guy asks how female pleasure works. The real science - from the homology between male and female anatomy to the clitoris, the g-spot, and why every woman differs.
Aunt Vadge: I spot for a few days after sex with my boyfriend – why?
Spotting for a couple of days after sex every time? Usually friction or a delicate cervix (ectropion) - but it's also a classic, often symptomless sign of chlamydia. Get screened.