aphrodite9

Will that’s awesome to hear, you’re an inspiration! I’m well and truly off the gym wagon rn so really appreciating everyone’s suggestions and inspo <3

Setting the goal to make it to a yoga or pilates session this weekend now that I’ve seen this thread for motivation!

Glad to hear it was helpful @kitkat!
And yep I think you’re right, if a doctor perceives you as being at higher risk of cervical pre-cancer or cancer it seems like there is scope for it to be covered by Medicare

Oh I should add that like @butterfly01, my recent follow-up tests were free and bulk-billed! Thats because no matter what your age is, Medicare does cover the tests when a doctor requests them for someone who has had a previously detected HPV infection or previously detected cervical pre-cancerous lesion, in line with the clinical management…[Read more]

Hi everyone, it’s been great to hear all your input into this!

I totally get the frustration among some people with having to pay for a test. I also think its important to note the changes made to the screening program were based on really rigorous review of the research base to make screening more effective. Evidence suggests the new program…[Read more]

Thanks for sharing this question @butterfly01 – I can’t believe I’ve never thought about what happens when someone is on their period during surgery, when it must be so common!

If it helps to put you at ease, statistically speaking I’m sure that every day there would be multiple patients on their period in every hospital, so nurses must be…[Read more]

That’s fair enough @catdog, I agree too that there is a place for both 🙂

Thanks @goldenrose and @tea, I was so glad to share it!

That sounds like a bit of a conundrum @tea, I hope you get some answers. I think you’re right, a GP might be a good source of info to try. But it is good to hear you’re still getting enjoyment from your nipples being touched!

I’ve never had my nipples pierced so don’t know about that – but sometimes I’ll have one very pointy nipple and one soft…[Read more]

Hmm that’s an interesting question @tea… I would have thought it’s not super safe to take a pill that you haven’t personally been given a prescription from a doctor for, and also could have unknown effects if you don’t take it in the proper regime/pattern it was designed for? Interested to hear what @nurse_nettie has to say on this!

Also, I…[Read more]

Wow thanks so much for starting this discussion @goldenrose, I’d never heard of the concept of body neutrality before, this article you shared was a really interesting read.

@aunt_flo your point about potentially being made to feel guilty about sometimes not being 100% body positive totally resonates with me. The amount of times I’m scrolling…[Read more]

Good to know, thanks for sharing @aunt_flo!

P.s. @tea you aren’t alone there, I cried many tears too! So deeply thankful to Hannah Gadsby for the bravery of sharing her story

I just came across a couple of articles related to this thread that people might be interested in so thought I’d share! They talk about representation/visibility, fitting in and having to prove queer identity.

Content Warning though for the second link which mentions sexual assault and suicide.…[Read more]

Also yes @tea I’m pretty sure there are several other things that can sometimes cause itchy vaginas. For instance, there’s bacterial vaginosis – which is an overgrowth of bacteria, as opposed to yeast. Some STIs and hormonal imbalances can cause itchy vaginas too. To tell the difference, I think a nurse/doctor would usually examine any discharge…[Read more]

Thank you for asking this question @Tea – commenting to follow the thread! I feel like I’ve heard thrush talked about a lot but never really properly understood what it’s like to have it…

I don’t think I’ve ever had a particularly itchy vagina, but on many occasions I’ve had a moderately itchy vulva, with a little bit of external cottage…[Read more]

This video was so informative, thanks so much for sharing! (And side note – gosh Dr Melissa Kang is such a LEGEND 😍)

I’d heard about the female condom before but never actually seeeen one, let alone try one. It’s bigger than I would’ve expected at first glance! But makes sense now knowing the ring at the open end sits on the outside. Like @Golden…[Read more]

Thank you so much @Nurse_Nettie for clearing this up! Will be trying to take a bit more care with bum to vagina play from now on. And yep my mum always taught me to wipe front to back – makes sense!
Thank you @tea and @GoldenRose – I’ll feel so much more comfortable going to pee after sex now knowing I’m not the only one!

Ahh thank you so much @EarthMama and @Sextronaut for this thread! I’m bisexual too. When I was in a long-term het relationship up until recently, I often felt like my internal identity was being challenged or invalidated, because I didn’t see my experience reflected back in much of the dialogue amongst the sexuality-diverse community, and I didn’t…[Read more]

Good question @Aunt_Flo! It’s true, I found it nerve-wracking the first few times, but now I make a habit of getting STI tests at least every 6 months (or much more frequently if I’ve had unprotected sex with a new or casual partner), even if I don’t have symptoms — SO after several years of getting tested it has now become like second nature to…[Read more]