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Growing into the woman I am today has come with unexpected surprises, and even some scares, as I experienced my body developing throughout my teenage years. My first menstrual cycle at 15 was just the first hurdle in what seemed like a million other body changes that followed as my body transformed into a woman. Puberty brings unexpected changes, and while I think most girls aren’t fully prepared for the experience, informing yourself as you grow during your adolescent years can help you understand your body better.
One of those unexpected surprises that I experienced for the first time as a teenage girl was a yeast infection. I didn’t understand what was happening with my body, but I knew something was not right.
Symptoms of Yeast Infections
Experiencing your first yeast infection can be alarming, uncomfortable, and sometimes shameful. My first yeast infection was when I was 17. It began first with itchiness and irritation in my private area, along with pain during urination, that began to worry me. The discomfort caused me some concern, but not enough to do anything about it right away. There were a couple of reasons why I kept quiet.
First of all, I was embarrassed and scared. The symptoms I experienced at first were not terrible and I hoped they would go away on their own. I wasn’t so lucky. The next day, the itchiness and pain were still there and I developed even more red flags. There was a change in the texture of my discharge. It was lumpy, like cottage cheese, and it began to gross me out.
In a panic, I took a closer look at my private area to see what was going on and I found that it was very irritated and a little red. I realized that something was wrong and I needed help to fix it. That’s when I then told my mom immediately.
In hindsight, suffering and panicking for a full 48 hours while withholding it from the help around me was not my best decision! But nobody can blame me; I had never experienced this before and I had no idea what was going on with my body. I grew frustrated that nobody informed me that this could happen, what it meant, or what to do to make it go away.
Once I told my mom what was going on with my body, she helped me. She explained that it was a yeast infection and I should refrain from having sex until it was treated and I was feeling back to normal. She bought me an at-home, over-the-counter remedy to cure the condition.
She assured me that yeast infections are a common and easily-treatable condition and she had experienced them many times. She said to call a doctor and get a prescription drug if the over-the-counter medication didn’t cure the symptoms.
My symptoms lasted about four days and got better with the medication. At the time, I did not know how to prevent these kinds of things from happening besides practicing basic hygiene. I was also unaware of anything else I could be doing to be the healthiest I can be as a young adult woman.
Two years later, I now feel like it could be extremely beneficial to inform young women about common infections, how to prevent them, and how to take care of these issues. Yeast infections are a lot more manageable and less shameful when you know more about your body as a beautiful growing woman!
Response:
As your body grows and changes, it’s important to understand how to take care of it. Yeast infections are pretty common, but it’s easy to see in hindsight how it could turn into a frightening experience if you don’t understand what’s happening to your body. Here are a few other common infections or helpful resources to help you navigate and understand your new body.
Anytime that you’re experiencing discomfort, especially if it causes you anxiety or disruption of your normal daily activities, it’s an indication that you should talk with a parent or doctor. Yeast infections are easier to identify at home, but many other conditions require a doctor to assess your symptoms and provide a diagnosis and prescibe treatment.
At My Virtual Physician, we understand that young women are still learning about their bodies and we’re here to help. Our virtual OBGYN appointments are quick and simple and we’re standing by ready to help you understand the changes you’re experiencing and get you feeling better when things aren’t quite right.
