About Lyndsay Mercier Expertise I can answer mostly any question regarding STD transmission, symptoms, and outlook.
Experience I am currently trained and certified in Sexuality Peer Education and teach an STI course at Northern Michigan University.
Organizations I am the President of a student organization known as VOX:Voices for Planned Parenthood, which is an organization focused on sexual health and reproductive freedom.
Publications I have written an article regarding teen pregnancy for www.Teenwire.com, which is due to be published on June 24th.
Education/Credentials I am currently pursuing my BS in Psychology with a double minor of Sociology and Gender Studies.
Expert: Lyndsay Mercier Date: 6/16/2008 Subject: are these symptoms of an std?
Question QUESTION: I got my first pap smear about a month ago knowing full well when i went in there i had some kind of infection because of my excessive discharge and the odor. she confirmed it when i got the test results back and prescribed me an antibiotic. On top of that she gave me a birth control pill since I have really heavy periods. i started taking it at the start of my period like she said to do and i bled for 15 days. i stopped taking it at day 8 because my emotions and moods were completely thrown off (i'm already diagnosed with major depressive disorder and a mood disorder so this just made it worse) The bleeding seemed to stop after a couple weeks but then here and there I would spot a little (pink discharge). It's been probably 2 and a half weeks since i started the birth control and i'm still spotting pinkish discharge type of thing but now the problem is it's accompanied with a foul odor. not really fishy but kind of musty.. and strong. i wash repeatidly down there multiple times a day and keep changing panty liners but the smell remains. I have had unprotected sex a few times so I'm worried. Is it just the infection still or something worse? I returned to the doctor after i noticed those symptoms and she was suppose to get back to me about the results but I haven't heard anything yet and i'm scared shitless.
thanks, melissa
ANSWER: Melissa,
A strong foul odor is usually a warning sign when it comes to STDs. Once you have gotten one STD, you are actually at a higher risk for getting another, so its now extra important that you protect yourself. If you had unprotected sex while still taking the antibiotics, you could have passed it on to your partner(s) as well, so make sure you tell them. If you had sex with someone you had sex with when you first caught the STD, it is also possible that they reinfected you with it. Thats why its important to tell all your partners so that they can also be treated. Otherwise, it will just keep getting passed back and forth. Even if your partner doesn't have any symptoms, it doesn't matter. Most people actually don't have any symptoms.
In the future, please use condoms. I also suggest using another form of birth control such as a non-hormonal method for you, since you suffer from depression. Non-hormonal methods include condoms, female condoms, and diaphragms. Just remember that you still need to use a condom when using a diaphragm because a diaphragm does not protect you from STDs, and condoms do.
Good luck,
Lyndsay
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: I never said I had an std?? I was tested but was clean for stds. It was just a straight bacterial infection...nothing more.
Answer Melissa,
Depending on what type of infection you had, a sexually transmitted infection is the same as an STD. If it was not sexually transmitted at all, and was some other type of infection entirely, then I stand corrected. I just assumed that when you said you had an infection that was treated with antibiotics, that you meant you had previously had an STI. (STI infections are also treated with antibiotics)
Either way, a strong foul odor is a warning sign, and you should check with your doctor to be sure. Spotting can also be a symptom of an STI, such as chlamydia. You mentioned that the pinkish discharge that makes up the spotting is what smells foul; sometimes pink or brown discharge is just leftover dried blood from your period, and it can have an unpleasant smell as well, which is normal. But, if this is NOT normal for you, thats when it could be a sign of something more.
I would also suggest that you don't wash your genitals multiple times a day because this can also throw off the delicate bacterial balance of the vagina and cause further problems, such as a urinary tract infection or a yeast infection.
Just relax and wait it out until your doctor gets back to you with your results. Hopefully its not anything serious.
