Your mood being affected around your period is a common occurrence for people who menstruate, as your body and its hormones are changing throughout your cycle. Depression is a common feeling around your period, and is tied to premenstrual syndrome (PMS), or in more severe cases, premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). Things that can normally help your mental health, such as exercise and plenty of sleep, can help with this symptom too! For more mental health resources, check

Yes! You can swab as instructed on your period. Your period will not affect the results! If you have any further questions, check out the "Get Tested" section of our website and its FAQ section at https://www.violetproject.org/faq.

While there is always a small chance of pregnancy if you have sex, it is very unlikely that you will get pregnant if you are taking the pill properly! The pill (combined or progesterone only) is supposed to be taken at the same time every day to be most effective. If it is being taken correctly, the pill is 99% effective, or only 1 in 100 women will get pregnant. However, some people do miss a dose (which you should take as soon as you realize you missed it!), or do not take

PCOS, or polycystic ovary syndrome, can affect your ability to get pregnant and can increase your risk of health complications while pregnant. However, there are treatments to help increase your fertility (ability to get pregnant) and decrease these pregnancy risks! PCOS is a hormonal condition that can affect your fertility. People with PCOS are at higher risk of high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, miscarriage, and other complications during pregnancy. However, just a

People have sex for a lot of reasons! While having sex can be to have a baby, many people just enjoy having sex! For many, sex can be a fun activity that feels good. Make sure if you are having sex for pleasure, to use protection to protect against STIs and pregnancy! On the other hand, many people do not have sex for a variety of reasons. Some have religious reasons why they do not have sex, or they wait until marriage. Others just may not want to have sex, or may be asexual

Yes! While it may be uncomfortable going to the doctor as a transperson at times, it is still very important to go to doctor and gynecologist to check on your health! Congratulations on taking charge of your own body and health journey! While all gynecologists should care of ALL people with female reproductive organs, transpeople do often face stigma or judgment in medical settings. To counteract this, many medical institutions, clinics, hospitals, and local LGBT organization

There is currently no test for HPV, or human papillomavirus, in males. HPV is the most common STI (sexually transmitted infection). There are many types of HPV, though most do not cause any health problems. HPV typically goes away on its own. Most men who get HPV never have symptoms. However, in some cases, HPV can cause warts or in extreme cases, cancer, though this is rare in men. If you do have warts or sores on your genitals, mouth, or throat, or other concerns, talk to

The chances of getting pregnant right before you menstruate, or start bleeding, are low, and they get lower the the closer you get to the start of your period. There are 4 phases of the menstrual cycle. The stage right before your period is the luteal phase, which lasts 1-2 weeks and is right after ovulation. The exact number of days of each phase varies from person to person, and even period to period. Right at the beginning of the luteal phase you have a relatively high ris

Technically yes, but the chances are relatively low. While there is always a risk of pregnancy even with birth control, PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) does not affect the patch’s ability to prevent pregnancy. The patch is 91% effective with typical use. When starting the patch, it takes up to 7 days to become effective, so after 2 weeks of use it will be acting to prevent pregnancy. To ensure the patch is working properly, make sure it is put on dry and clean skin (i.e., do