I'm 14 and still a virgin, but my boyfriend fingers me and gives me oral sex. For a couple of weeks, my vagina has been itchy and red, and it hurts when I touch it. I don't feel comfortable talking to my mom about this. What should I do?
– Ellie*

Friction and pressure from fingering or oral sex can cause irritation in the sensitive genital area. But itching and redness that lasts for a couple of weeks could also be a sign of an infection, and vaginal infections can get worse if they're not treated. So you should get checked out by a doctor.

Don't want to get into details with your mom? Just tell her you're having itching and discomfort "down there" and would like to see the doctor. Girls can get yeast infections for all sorts of reasons that have nothing to do with sexual contact — such as stress, for example.

Germs are everywhere. Even if you're not having intercourse, fingering and oral sex can lead to infection. Ask your boyfriend to wash his hands before touching your genitals. And, if either of you has a cold sore, don't have oral sex. The virus that causes cold sores can transfer to the genitals and become genital herpes.

Because it can be hard to tell when a cold sore is active, and because other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) also can be passed by oral sex, it's best to use a dental dam or condom when having oral sex to protect against infection.

For more information, read these articles:
Vaginal Yeast Infections
Genital Herpes
Cold Sores (HSV-1)
Can You Get Genital Herpes From a Cold Sore?

Reviewed by: Larissa Hirsch, MD
Date reviewed: February 2008

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*Names have been changed to protect user privacy.