Worried I have got BV from this?

[Worried1183]

I don’t have anxiety about this stuff usually but have been unable to stop worrying about this for the last month. I don’t have sex much with my partner as I get so worried about it but last time he put his fingers inside me which he rarely does and now I keep thinking what if that’s transferred bacteria. I feel really worried about it and keep thinking I have symptoms. I’ve never really done this in the past and just feel so worried.

@sansucre That soap is no better than any other. Anything that upsets the vagina's natural ph is a bad idea.

@Worried1183 I know you say it’s just this but this health anxiety must be causing issues in your relationship if it means you cannot have a functioning sex life?

OP I hope you get some help for the anxieties, I know from experience it's no way to live your life.

As an aside- I get how you're feeling. I can worry myself about similar types of things.

But I've had a few gynae issues myself recently. I'm not overly worried. I'm waiting for test results- if I need treatment I'll have it. If I don't, great. If I continue to have any problems I'll go see my GP.

Please don't catastrophise something that a) you most likely do not have and b) on the tiny chance you do have it, it is very easily treatable and whilst annoying, not something that you need to be really worried about.

@MamaTutu2 yes it does. I feel very stressed after sex even though I love intimacy with my oartner. I’m fine doing stuff to him but when it impacts me I just start panicking. I have always been like this but it is extreme this time because I have linked it to my period and now feel it’s inevitable. I know people think I sound crazy. I probably am. It’s a lonely place to be and I have nobody to talk to

You do know even if you get a vaginal infection, they are nothing to worry about and very treatable? I’ve had plenty over the years. And the fact you don’t even have any symptoms to suggest you do is bizarre

@Worried1183 just try and take it one step at a time and with support from your doctor things will get better.

I think you need to stop googling vagina health and BV and theories about times in your cycle you're more prone to infections etc. And start googling health anxiety instead.

It helped me when I made that switch because it resets your frame of mind. I used to obsessively track my heart rate and read about all kinds of things that can go wrong with heart and lungs. Then I started to view the health anxiety as the "illness" rather than all the stuff I was catastrophising over

What do you feel is inevitable? If this happened a month ago you'd probably know by now if you had an infection or not, you'd have symptoms.
You need a doctors appointment asap to talk about this, it's not normal to be this worked up about something most people consider a part of everyday foreplay.

[quote CorrBlimeyGG]@sansucre That soap is no better than any other. Anything that upsets the vagina's natural ph is a bad idea.[/quote]
I don't use it in my vagina!!

But it's good for one's skin (and why I use it) and should the suds accidentally get inside when I am soaping my vulva, it's not going to disrupt my vagina's ph level or biome.

biome? Biome!

OP, how old are you if you don’t mind me asking? When I was younger I would worry about infections and having to tell my mam something wasn’t right or go to the GP.
Do not over wash as that will take away the good bacteria and more than likely end up wih something. Remember to wee after sex and drink fluids if you think you have a UTI. I’ve never had BV so can’t help you there but I’m sure you would know yourself. As others have said you can buy a test for BV in most chemists.
Have you spoken to your partner about how you feel? I think your first call would be to the GP to discuss your worries and next steps to overcome this and discuss this with your partner, he will understand if he cares for you.

Take care X

This sounds like crippling anxiety and never having fingers inside you sounds awful.

Get help so that you can chill out and relax and enjoy your sex life more.

Good luck

Please get help for the anxiety OP. You are not alone. You don't have to worry about every single aspect of your health to have health anxiety. It can just be one thing like this. There is help out there

You sound so distressed OP. Please seek help from your GP asap as this is clearly impacting your life and doesn't need to.

The body is an amazing thing and is designed to cope with all sorts.

Are your worries exclusively to do with vaginal health? You say you've always been like this so I wonder if there is a cultural, religious or strict upbringing which may have something to do with this?

Regardless, your GP can absolutely help with your anxieties.

@Worried1183

I think I am going to try and not book an appointment for a test or anything silly and just wait this one out because at least then if it is fine I will hopefully have got some ‘evidence’ for myself that things can be ok here and we could do it again. It’s so hard though, I feel sick and guilty not rushing to a doctor to get a swab done.

You can get the test from a supermarket. You don't need to go anywhere for a swab.

Do you think you maybe feel 'unclean' from the act itself rather then his fingers not being clean? As you say you don't usually do it.
Please seek help from your GP. You usually get infections from using a cheap perfumed bubble bath or soap then fingers etc.

OP. Lesbian here. I have had fingers inside me so many times that I am surprised there’s not a permanent imprint up there Also, sex toys, strap-ons that have been inside my girlfriend first then in me without being washed in between (note to all who are not the OP- this is long term relationship behaviour only, like sex without a condom in straight couples - I’m not daft), I also regularly have sex while I have my period and having fingers up there even then has never ever resulted in BV or any kind of infection. Not once. And no, I don’t make her wash her hands first.

Infections I HAVE had:

UTI infections - from using strong soapy type things like bubble bath etc, and I went through a spell of being prone to these when I’d had a lot of alcohol when I was younger.

Thrush - from taking a long course of antibiotics.

The only thing that would possibly give you an infection from fingers being inside you was if you got cross contaminated with poo - this happens to some people if they wipe from back to front after going to the toilet. As he giving his bumhole a good old scratch before he put his fingers in you? Almost certainly not. Does he wash his hands after going to the toilet? Almost certainly yes? Even if not, it would need to be more than a tiny trace to have an effect - think about babies - they sit in pooey nappies until they’re changed and rarely get any infections from it.

You have health anxiety and it must be miserable. Give your GP a call and ask for a referral for some CBT or similar - this is no way to live.

We all touch our faces hundreds of times in the day, most of the time without washing our hands first and this doesn't lead to eye/ear/nose infections. Why would touching your vagina give you an infection?

@Allwillbefine

I have had fingers inside me so many times that I am surprised there’s not a permanent imprint up there

This has made my afternoon, thankyou....

You need to get help for your anxiety OP. This level of worry about getting a disease from being fingered is far from normal.

I feel sorry for you, but I also feel sorry for your partner. Please get some help for his sake.

You poor love. I have health anxiety (mostly cancer related) and I've been in a spiral like this.

Think about all those teenagers out there, frolicking in the park after a bottle of White Lightning, getting up to things out the back of the local Chinese- do you think they carefully wash their hands before every liaison? And yet, have we heard about any rampant outbreaks of BV amongst the teenage population? Where is the public health campaign telling of the dangers of fingering with unwashed hands?

And then there's those of us who are trying to conceive, and so don't use barrier protection. DH doesn't shower before or have a gentleman's wash every time we have sex, and my vag is no worse the wear for it. That's entirely normal.

The human race wouldn't have got very far if every contact with bacteria resulted in infection. The vagina is so clever; not only is it designed to clean itself, it tends to give you very clear signs if something is amiss in the form of discharge or odour, neither of which you have.

You need to go to the doctor about your anxiety. Honestly you probably have no idea how much impact it's having on your life.

@CorrBlimeyGG

You're more likely to get BV from over cleaning than from sexual activity. Do you use any feminine washes?

Please talk to your GP about how you're feeling.

I read this as 'you're more likely to get BV from oven cleaning..' Anyway, carry on...

So what if you did get BV? What’s the big panic. You just take some antibiotics and it clears up. It’s not like it’s a deadly illness or something

[quote Worried1183]@sylbunny what causes an infection then? Surely if you had dog poo or something in there that would cause bv?

I know I have a problem but I’m not like this about anything else to do with my health it’s literally just this.[/quote]
Well I mean it wasn't dog poo! Bacteria is everywhere and if the ph is changed in your vagina ANY bacteria that is there all the time can then start to grow. Bacteria is everywhere not just on 'dirty' things. Especially in things like vaginas!

Firstly OP you really need help for your anxiety. You are very lucky this hasn't caused a rift with your dp because the pressure must be immense
Secondly, if you have caught BV YOU WILL KNOW!! The fishy smell is strong and the itching is immense, BUT you don't even need antibiotics you can buy treatment over the counter.
You won't get it though. I've had so many things in my vagina and it's fine.
Even if you did, treat it.!! Not only that, PID is caused by years and years of untreated chlamydia, not BV.

Lastly I am LOL at a previous poster advising you to be more wary of " his peep "..
Peep ...