Q.
I have been getting Depo-Provera
shots for about a year. My periods have stopped totally,
what's up with that?
A.
If you've
gotten your injections on time, the absence of periods does
not mean you're pregnant and is not something to worry about.
(The medical term is amenorrhea). In fact, many women like
the convenience of not having periods. Without it, women have
less menstrual discomfort (such as back pain or cramping)
and fewer disruptions of personal activities. Periods usually
return within 3 to 10 months after you stop receiving the
injections.
Periods
stop because DEPO-PROVERA causes a ‘resting state’
in your ovaries. When your ovaries do not release an egg each
month, the growth of the lining of the uterus does not occur.
So the menstrual bleeding doesn't occur. You may want your
healthcare provider to explain this in more detail.
For more
information on Depo-provera, go to their site, no, they don't
pay me to promote it, (wish they did), I just think it is
a good choice of birth control for many women.
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Q.
What is Lunelle?
A.
Lunelle is a highly effective hormonal contraceptive given
as an injection once a month. It is the first in a new class
of contraception: the combination long-acting contraceptive.
Lunelle
contains a combination of two hormones: medroxyprogesterone
acetate (MPA) and estradiol cypionate (E2C). MPA is a progestin
and is the same hormone found in Depo-Provera,
another injectable contraceptive.
The
major difference between Lunelle and Depo-Provera is that
Lunelle contains estrogen and Depo-Provera does not. Another
difference is that Lunelle only contains one-sixth the amount
of MPA found in Depo-Provera. Lunelle also differs from birth
control pills in that it contains much smaller doses of estrogen.
And unlike the Pill, which must be taken daily, Lunelle only
needs to be given once a month. No I don't get paid to promote
either of these. I wish I did.
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Q.
Where do I put a tampon? Where do I pee out of? Where
is my cervix? Which is my clitoris? (These are real
questions).
A.
This diagram is familiar to us older girls, but I get a lot
of questions from guys and gals as to where the urethra and
the vagina are located. So, here
is a drawing as if your body was sawed in half. (Kind of gross
to say that, but this diagram was not my idea, some man many
years ago drew it).
Urine
is excreted from your bladder by way of the
urethra, see the picture. For a guy's urethra, see the drawing
on “Urethritis”. A
tampon is inserted into your vagina... see drawing.
Your cervix
is at the very top of your vagina and it’s actually part
of your uterus. Cervix means ‘neck’, so you may
hear that word used in regard to your neck. The cervix protrudes
into the vagina, and has a small opening (about the size of
a pencil point), through which menstrual fluid escapes. See
the pap smear page for more on
that.
(For
'Twink')
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Q.
How do I insert a tampon? Can a virgin use tampons
without breaking her hymen?
A.
Yes! And the hymen doesn't
really “break”.
First,
READ the instruction sheet that comes in the box of tampons.
To insert a tampon: Slide the applicator into your vagina
and then push the plunger, thereby inserting the tampon. First,
practice just guiding in the tampon, so that you can find
the place and angle for insertion that is comfortable for
you. (Use a drop of water to moisten the applicator if that
makes it more comfortable for you.) If there is any question
about where to insert
the tampon -- don't laugh, I get letters about this question
all the time -- look at the diagram above, or use a mirror
to help you. Don't feel embarrassed about not knowing “which
opening is which”, I get asked this a lot and so someone
out there needs this information.
As for
breaking or not breaking the hymen, does it matter really
matter that you have an intact hymen? Hymens come in various
shapes and designs. If your hymen is still intact and shaped
like a septum (a thin line of skin which divides the center
of the vaginal opening, as does the septum of our nose), then
this thin membrane of skin may stretch or break when you ride
a bike, climb a tree, ride a horse, do gymnastics or do any
physical activity. I don't know why there is so much confusion
and myths about the hymen.
Or, if
like most females, you have a hymen shaped like a crescent
moon around the bottom or sides of the vaginal opening, then
tampons should not interfere at all. Or, a woman's hymen could
have already been broken or stretched by sexual activity,
even if she has not had a penis inside of her. (And there
is your virgin definition. Look up virgin in the dictionary
if there is any confusion about what this word really means.
I get
many letters a week from young teens who don't understand
the definition. Sadly, I guess health education in public
schools is not as good as it was when I was a preteen. But
you've got the net and Cool Nurse of course! 
* ! * ! Read The
Hymen article, it was written after this post, thanks!
