Nurse_Nettie

Thanks for updating us, @yogigirl. It’s empowering to know what was causing your symptoms. It means you can make informed choices about your health now.
And @curiousss, I’m so glad to know that you found the Jean Hailes resources helpful too.

Hi @curiousss, great question! We used to say everyone should check their breasts the same way a doctor would do it. But we’ve learned through research that the most important thing isn’t technique, it’s just getting to know the usual feel of your breasts so you can easily recognise when something isn’t right. This is called breast awareness and…[Read more]

Hi @yogigirl I’m sorry to hear that you’re struggling with these symptoms. Irregular periods, acne, and increased body and facial hair are common signs of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) so it’s great that you’re getting tested. PCOS is a really common condition that effects your hormones.

If it turns out you have PCOS, your doctor will give…[Read more]

Hi @yogigirl I’m sorry to hear that you’re struggling with these symptoms. Irregular periods, acne, and increased body and facial hair are common signs of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) so it’s great that you’re getting tested. PCOS is a really common condition that effects your hormones.

If it turns out you have PCOS, your doctor will give…[Read more]

Hi @yogigirl I’m sorry to hear that you’re struggling with these symptoms. Irregular periods, acne, and increased body and facial hair are common signs of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) so it’s great that you’re getting tested. PCOS is a really common condition that effects your hormones.

If it turns out you have PCOS, your doctor will give…[Read more]

Hi @YogiGirl, if you haven’t had your period in three months, it’s best to check in with a GP. There are a lot of different reasons you can miss periods. It could be related to stress or adjusting to coming off the pill, but there are hormonal conditions that can cause this too. Is there any chance you could be pregnant? Know 4 Sure is a useful…[Read more]

Hi @wakawaka123 thanks for sharing your experience here. You’re definitely not alone in struggling to find the kind of intimate relationship you’d really like to have. There are many different reasons it can be difficult. I can tell from your message that this is causing you a lot of distress and frustration though. I’d really encourage you to…[Read more]

@aunt_flo, there’s no need to avoid the entire bicep/tricep area. As implants are usually placed on the inside of the non dominant arm, having the tattoo on the front of the arm is totally fine. It’s just best to avoid tattooing over or near the implant.

Hi @aunt_flo, it’s a good question! The main concern is the risk of the Implant breaking & not providing contraceptive cover. Although tattooing may go to different depth in the skin to the implanon, the pressure applied may cause breakage. Generally the advice is to get a tattoo first & then the Implanon inserted after…or choose a different…[Read more]

@piperr42 you’re definitely not alone. Sex is one of the most common causes for UTIs (Urinary Tract infections) in young people with a vagina. Peeing ‘immediately’ after sex is the recommendation. Peeing works by washing away any bacteria that’s moved around the urethra (the hole where wee comes out) during sex.

UTIs aren’t contagious though. If…[Read more]

That’s a great question! When it comes to periods we say a “normal” cycle can vary between 21 to 42 days. Coming off the Pill you’d usually expect your cycle to normalise within about three months. There are factors that contribute to irregular periods like travelling or weight loss or even intense physical exercise. There are also some pretty…[Read more]

Hi @champagnepapi, it’s great that you’re keeping a log of your periods & are keeping aware of changes. Having a period is a result of a complex hormonal cycle that ranges over 4 to 6 weeks (21-42 days). In fact no period cycle is exactly the same as the one before. It may mean that every 6 months your cycle lasts longer.
A common reason for no…[Read more]

Good to know @Raincoat 🙂 Agree, there’s lots of good info in this thread!

This is an important topic and I appreciate all of your thoughtful comments. Just wanted to acknowledge here that any discussion of sexual violence can be triggering for people, particularly those who have experienced assault or abuse before.

If you’re feeling distressed, make sure to reach out to a friend or have a chat with a counselor over…[Read more]

Hi @tea, if it’s a true period, I’d agree with @champagnepapi. Even if you’re usually pretty regular, a week early or late can be normal. However, bleeding between periods can be a sign of infection. If the bleeding is much lighter or heavier than what’s usual for you or if you’re experiencing pain, especially pain with penetrative sex, then it’s…[Read more]

@earthmama @aunt_flo @stephaniaaaah, a lot of sexual health services are changing due to the impact of COVID 19. Unfortunately Transtest which is a partnership with ACON and Kirkton Road Centre is closed indefinitely. The same with Check Out service. Currently the best way to find out what services for HIV & STI testing are near you, is to call…[Read more]

Hi @curious, thanks for your question! yes, it’s generally considered safe to only take the active pills & skip your periods, however this is based on research only looking at 12 months continuous use. If you want to skip your period more long term, you might want to consider one of the LARC methods like Mirena IUD, depo injection or the implant…[Read more]

@Tea just wanted to check in to see how you are going. You got some great info from beautiful allies on this thread, but I know it matters to hear from people who can speak from lived experience too. ACON just launched a new resource called TransHub. It addresses all of the issues you’ve mentioned here and provides guides and practical info about…[Read more]

Hi @nasty67, your resident Sexual Health Specialist here. Make sure to read the replies to the original post before you worry too much about what the OP said. Safe anal sex is pretty simple 🙂

@tim2020 its great that you’re thinking of safe sex! It’s not only gay & bisexual men at risk through condomless anal sex, it’s all sexual orientations too. The anus is full of nerves that provide sexual pleasure & people may want anal sex as their is no pregnancy risk. Whilst sex toys reduce the risk (particularly when changing condoms between…[Read more]