Bleeding... and afraid to talk about it

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-06-2003
Bleeding... and afraid to talk about it
1
Sat, 09-06-2003 - 12:21am
I'm 16 years old and have starting having some irregular bleeding. Over the past few months, I've been having spotting between periods. There wasn't much blood, now and then it was enough to spill onto my panties, but sometimes just when I wiped in the washroom. But, I've been bleeding for a long time. Since the beginning of August when I had my period, I've bled almost everyday. There was a very low chance I could've been pregnant, but I took a home pregnancy test and it turned out negative. (I've only slept with one guy, and we didn't get to finish) I read up a bit on the bleeding, and think I should probably talk to someone about it, but I can never seem to do it. I live with my stepmom, and she's usually really good to talk to, but whenever we're alone together and I think I should ask her about it, I can't and I just never bring it up. I've never had trouble talking to anyone before. Can anyone offer any advice, about the bleeding, talking to my stepmom or whether I should go to the doctor?
iVillage Member
Registered: 06-09-2003
Sat, 09-06-2003 - 1:39am
It's always hard to talk about these kinds of things, it's scary to begin with and embarrasing too. The hard part is bringing it up, but you have to get over the fear and do it. Once you start talking you'll probably feel better. You should at least tell your stepmother about the bleeding and have her help you make an appointment to see a doctor (preferably an ob/gyn). You'll have to tell the doctor everything so that he/she can figure out the best thing to do for you. It can be embarrassing to talk about intimate details of your life with a stranger, but believe me they've seen and heard it all before.

Remember that you can always request a female doctor if you don't feel comforable seeing a man, and if you don't like the doctor you get you can ask to see someone else the next time you go. The most important thing is that you feel comfortable talking to the doctor you see.

Irregular bleeding is actually pretty common in teens but that doesn't mean that you don't have a problem that should be treated. Sex comes with a lot of health issues that you're going to have to deal with and the sooner you start taking care of yourself the better off you'll be. Sex is great but you have to be prepared to take responsibility for the results (STDs and pregnancy). Sometimes it leads to some pretty uncomfortable conversations, but you just have to jump in and do it. You're lucky that you have a stepmother that you can talk to. Take advantage of it. Good luck.