QUESTION
I have had a small bump inside my inner vaginal lips. It looks like a pimple. It doesn't hurt and doesn't grow, but itches. The area is very dry and sore and sometimes burns when I urinate. I have not actually had vaginal intercourse, but I have had oral sex and anal sex. What could this be and what should I do?

ANSWER
It is impossible to diagnose your problem online. Only a doctor can give you a definite answer. That said, there are many things not spread thru sex that cause lumps and bumps on the genitals. A common one is a small cyst, sometimes called a sebaceous or epidermoid cyst. Wart virus can also be spread by fingering or petting without sex and cause lumps or bumps.

Even if you have not had vaginal sex, you can contract STDs from other behaviors like oral sex. Going down on a man can spread chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes or syphilis. Going down on a woman can spread herpes and possibly syphilis. Getting fucked anally can also put you at risk for these same infections, and others, like HIV and and hepatitis.

To learn where you can get tested, visit City Clinic for information about testing in San Francisco or visit InSpot.org and look for your city or State. If not there, try HIVtest.org or call the CDC National Hotline for services near you: 1-800-CDC-INFO.

To your health,
Dr. K