Yes. There is one type of sexually transmitted infection (STI) called human papillomavirus (HPV) that can cause cancer. HPV is a virus, and can live in your throat, vaginal region, anus, and penis. HPV has many different strains, and some strains can cause cancer. HPV has been found to cause cancer in the throat, vagina, cervix, vulva, anus, and penis. HPV actually causes 70% of all throat cancers, so it's super important to use protection! We can protect ourselves from this

In short, yes. The clitoris is not just what is externally visible, but extends back into the body. When aroused, blood rushes to the tissue that makes up the clit (which is developed from the same tissue that develops into a penis), causing it to become swelled with blood. This is the process of a clitoral erection. The clit is extra sensitive and has high pleasure potential in this state.

Usually one egg is released each cycle, and the ovaries alternate releasing that egg. So, if one cycle the right ovary releases an egg, the next cycle the left ovary releases an egg.

Your period can fluctuate a lot in frequency, duration, and heaviness, especially in the first few years of getting your period. A lot of different factors can change your period: stress, diet and exercise, medications, and more. However, if you have a sudden heavy period, when your period is usually not that way, it could be due to a medical condition. If your bleeding is lasting more than 7 days, is requiring you to change your pad or tampon more frequently than every 2 hou

Good question. First, you may think you don't bleed a lot - maybe you bleed the same amount as your parent, or someone has told you that you're not really bleeding a lot. But, you might be bleeding more than you should in a healthy amount, and that might be part of the reason why you feel dizzy on your period! Check out the section "How much bleeding is too much?" on this page - https://www.violetproject.org/menstrual-health If you ever feel dizzy or nauseous or vomit while o

Everyone is born with milk ducts. For females, they develop a lot more during pregnancy due to the hormonal changes within the body.

Many times, during your period, menstrual blood can sit in the vaginal canal or take longer to leave your body – this blood is then exposed to more oxygen, which causes the blood to become oxidized or turn brown. Usually, this kind of blood can be anywhere from dark red to dried brown. However, if your discharge is changing in color from before, or if there is a new odor with your discharge, you may want to go see an OB/GYN and ask about this change. It can be helpful to take

Full question: "Is it normal to have periods that are painful for the first day that I cannot function without ibuprofen and are really heavy like the extra heavy pads cant contain the blood for more than 4-5 hours or else I have an accident?" It depends. Period flow and pain are all relative, so it might be “normal," but it might not be! Our best advice here is for you to see a doctor. Even it your period is found to be "normal," there are treatments that your doctor can giv

There are a number of other reasons you could not be getting your period even though you are not pregnant. Our menstrual cycles depend on the hormones in our body (estrogen and progesterone, mainly) to work well. Sometimes, an imbalance of these hormones or the hormones that stimulate these hormones (follicle stimulating hormone, FSH, or luteinizing hormone, LH) can delay your period or make your period irregular. Often times, when teens first get their period, it can be irre

There are a variety of ways to keep track of your period but the most important thing is that you record the first day of your period. It may also be helpful to record how long your period lasts but most importantly will be the first day of your period (what doctors call date of your last menstrual period). You can use your own calendar (whether on paper or your computer), or you can use an app. If you have an Apple phone, the period tracker is built into the health app. Othe

The main infectious concern with tampons is toxic shock syndrome (TTS), which can be a life-threatening infection starting with fever, vomiting, diarrhea and dizziness. This is why it is important to never leave your tampon in for more than 6 hours or overnight, because this increases your risk of getting. However it is important to note that it is possible to get TTS from using pads, tampons, menstrual cups, or any other products that can start to cause an infection. Also, T

Septate hymen is rare, and occurs when people are born with extra tissue on their hymen, which is a thin tissue that is around the vaginal opening. As a result, those with septate hymen may have what looks like two vaginal openings. Depending on the situation, some with this condition can find it harder to insert a tampon during menstruation or have painful sexual intercourse. If you are concerned that you have a septate hymen, the only way to know for sure is to see a doctor

The most likely reason is a result of friction between or tightness from clothes and your vaginal area. The vagina and clitoris are very sensitive and this could be a reason you are having a tingly, tight sensation. It is not unusual to have sensation down there when you do activities because the vagina is also a part of your body and has lots of sensation (just like your fingers or your face). However, if this is a new issue that suddenly developed or if you find it getting

By down there, I am going to assume we're talking about the vagina. It is natural for there to be an odor, especially on days where you may have heavy flow or are sweating from doing lots of walking or physical activity that could create more friction in your underwear area. The important thing is to distinguish between a normal odor and a bad odor that may be a sign of an infection. The bad odors include smells that are very fishy, or other symptoms like lots of discharge, b

Good question! Some pain when you feel turned on is normal and can be felt in a couple of places. Long story short, if you have female reproductive organs, this is likely because of tightening pelvic floor muscles or vaginal contractions in response to stimulation. If you have male reproductive organs, it could be a result of all the blood flow going to your testes or penis when you get turned on. Some people can also feel some stomach pain when they get turned on because of

Good question! Everyone's skin is different, and for many people, the skin in the area of or around your genitals may be darker (scientifically called hyperpigmentation). This may be due to hormones like estrogen, which can impact our skin color sometimes by stimulating our melanocytes (cells that make the pigment or color on our skin), or friction on your skin, which causes the color to get darker over time. As long as there is no irritation, reddening, or a sudden darkening

It is difficult to say how long the labia majora and minora should be, given that everyone has different labia. The labia can be asymmetrical or symmetrical, or they may be longer or shorter, with one side hanging out lower than the other. The labia minora (the inner lips) can also be bigger or smaller than the labia majora. There should be no length that is one of concern, unless they are causing you physical discomfort in any way. Most OB/GYNs would say they have never seen

It can definitely be normal to have discharge everyday, but normal is different for everyone! When we're talking about discharge, it is important to note the color, the smell, and the amount of discharge you're having. It can be normal to have discharge everyday if that discharge is clear or milky AND there is not very much (nowhere near as much as you have during your period). Some women do get discharge every day, and some have it less often. The amount of discharge and the

Ovulation typically occurs about 2 weeks before the start of your menstrual cycle. Ovulation means that someone's ovary has released an egg into their fallopian tube (learn more about female anatomy here). So, for example, if the first day of their period is April 14th, then ovulation may have occurred 14 days before, around March 31st or April 1st. The exact time of ovulation can be difficult to know, especially if someone has a menstrual cycle that is longer or shorter than

Your period, or the time when you bleed in your menstrual cycle, is usually three to seven days long. These differences can be due to hormone levels, diet, environmental factors, genetics or other reasons. One woman's period can be very different from another and still be normal. However, if your period is longer than seven days, or becoming irregular, or if you feel you are bleeding so much that you feel weak, light-headed or dizzy during your period, you should go see a doc