Something else? Ask Aunt Vadge – bottom left of your screen!Vulvar varicose veins
Vulvar varicose veins can appear during pregnancy or with other pelvic varicosities. Treatment is usually very successful.
Aunt Vadge: it slipped in without a condom – can I be pregnant?
It slipped in without a condom and you're stressed about pregnancy? Emergency contraception is the thing that actually helps now - plus how worried to really be.
Aunt Vadge: Got fingered – am I pregnant?
Got fingered and now your period's late with tender breasts and nausea? The pregnancy risk is very low, and those are classic PMS signs - but take a test to be sure.
Aunt Vadge: I was fingered, now my period is late
Fingered and now your period's late? The two are completely unrelated - periods run on ovulation, and stress delays them. Plus what those white chunks mean.
Aunt Vadge: sex and fingering – am I pregnant?
Two days late after protected sex and fingering? You can relax - neither carries a real pregnancy risk, and two days late is normal cycle variation.
The smell of blood – why your period smells metallic
Ever wondered why blood smells metallic? We've found out for you! Plus some interesting science tidbits about humans and the smell of blood.
Understanding methylation, MTHFR and homocysteine
Methylation can be impaired if you've tested positive for the MTHFR gene, resulting in high homocysteine levels.
Aunt Vadge: inserting a tampon gives me unbearable pain
Can't insert a tampon, and sex is impossible from pain? It's likely vaginismus - not a structural fault but a retrainable reflex. The hopeful, self-directed path.
Aunt Vadge: is this a fingering wound or my period?
Bled after being fingered for the first time, then darker blood when your period was due? It's likely a small graze, then your period arriving. How to tell them apart.
SSRI antidepressants and pregnancy – is it safe?
We review the evidence regarding SSRI use during pregnancy, and whether it increases the risks of malformations in your baby.
Gestational diabetes – what you should know
We run you through type II diabetes during pregnancy. Gestational diabetes can cause some serious problems for mother and baby, requiring monitoring.
Aunt Vadge: My boyfriend put his cummy fingers inside of me, now I have cramps
Boyfriend put semen-y fingers inside you and now you have cramps? The risk is low - sperm dies fast in air - and day-after cramps aren't an early-pregnancy sign.
Aunt Vadge: my period is a day late after me and my boyfriend got steamy
One day 'late' and terrified after oral and fingering with no genital contact? You're not pregnant - and day 31 isn't even late for your own cycle range.
Aunt Vadge: my period just stopped after two years
Period stopped for months and you've never had sex? Not pregnancy - usually stress, not enough fuel, or over-exercise. The causes, and why the pill isn't the fix.
Aunt Vadge: on patch, but period is two days late
On the patch with a negative test but your bleed is two days late? You're very unlikely pregnant - patch withdrawal bleeds are variable, and PCOS makes timing wander.
Aunt Vadge: I made him change the condom three times – can I still be pregnant?
Used a condom, water-tested it, but spiralling that you're pregnant? You're very unlikely to be - and your period's due in two days. Plus a kind word on the anxiety.
Aunt Vadge: we used a condom, but I was ovulating – can I be pregnant?
Used a condom but worried because it was your ovulation day? An intact condom is a barrier - it doesn't care what day it is. Why you're safe, and the EC backstop.
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: 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.
How fertile is precum?
The pull-out method has been used successfully for all of humankind, but why does it work for some people and not for others? We explain.