In the past years, I had some infection of yeast, mild bacterial infections and pH imbalances which went away after a while (like one week or so), but in August 2023, I got a strange discharge that was 'thick dark brown’. At first I delayed seeing a physician thinking that maybe my period cycle had changed, but then a week passed with no flow, just endless discharge, so I decided to visit a physician. She sent me directly to the laboratory for urine analysis. The results came out and I had mild bacterial infections. She also looked at my period calendar and suggested that ovulation could have caused the brown discharge, but the discharge lasted for another two weeks. Even after completing my medication, it still continued. I felt dirty. I changed hospitals. 

The same procedure was followed; the urine test came and I was clear, and I was given some medication. The physician said that the black discharge was old period blood that was locked in my uterus, and with time the blood turned black. After a while I felt better and I never went back for review. I assumed I had healed. In the month of September I felt some itchiness, and took a mirror to check on the vagina. To my shock, I had so many cheese-like balls that I could pick them up! It was late and so I promised myself to go to the hospital first thing in the morning, of which I did and I did a urine and HVS test (high vaginal swab). The physician was shocked to see I had 500+ bacteria and everything else was high, the pH level was high, I even had a yeast infection. I was given some medication and asked to mind my personal hygiene, “please hang your panties outside for aeration”.

"I hated being a woman."

After one week I went back for review, repeated the same test and nothing had changed, everything was still high. I was given more antibiotics; by now I was so tired of the endless visits to the hospital plus the medicines. After another week, I went back for review, went directly to the laboratory and repeated the same test. I still stuck with the same doctor, for consistency but to his disbelief, I still had 500 plus bacterial counts!  Now he sent me back to the laboratory to do a HVS culture and urine culture. These two tests would help to determine the drugs that I should take, as he said the bacteria was resistant to the medicines that I had been taking. The test took 72hrs, also by then I had exhausted my insurance and I had to pay cash. The test came out and I had bacteria; he said it's mainly found around the anus. I was kept on IV injections of which I would go daily to the hospital, for four days to get the jabs. On the fourth day,I was given oral medicine. Once the dose was complete, as usual I went for a review. This time the bacteria had reduced to 25 from 500+,  but my vaginal pH was still high. I was given a ten day dosage, so the whole of November I  was a frequent visitor to the hospital, almost everyone knew me. After completing my dose on December 16 2023, I decided to change hospitals. This time I went to a government facility, earlier I was going to a private hospital. I went early to avoid the queue, by 7:30am I had registered myself. I was among the first patients to be attended to. As usual I was sent to the laboratory, this was after explaining my struggles. Also the lady requested for a pelvic ultrasound and the same bacteria was found; also the ultra sound and showed that I had a mild infection. I was given some medication up to January 4th 2024, and when I went back to the hospital for review, I found that I had healed.

Let me say there is no lesser illness, during this period I hated being a woman, keeping in mind I did everything accordingly. I always hand washed my garments and sun dried them, I wiped my coochie from front to backward. Could it be fabric softener? Could it be my sex partner? Or the use of public toilets? Or maybe I must be masturbating way too much! 

The infection drained me both physically and emotionally. I feared going to the hospital, getting the IV injections every now and then, the swabbing in hospital toilets. From the experience I have learnt something new, before having unprotected you not only need a HIV test but also a urine test. Also, no more douching.