[CrystalChord]

I have a friend out of state who told me she had been bleeding on-and-off for the past six weeks, with the exception of the past 8 days. She told me she would bleed for about three days, then it would stop and come back after two or three more days and it "usually" wasn't heavy bleeding.

She complained of cramps last night and this morning for the past hour she has had them even worse, saying the pain is "like cramps, but sharper".

She lives out of state because of college, and can't go to a doctor down there because of her insurance, and a hospital is out of the question because they're expensive and she and her family don't have enough money to pay for a trip there. But I'm really worried about her! She's always had an unstable period since it started, but this is really bad.

I've told her to take iron pills (she's getting some this week she says), and I keep insisting to go to an urgent care or a doctor, but apparently they don't have a health center at her school, since it's right in the heart of a big city!

I don't know what to do, and I don't know what's wrong with her. Could someone please help?!

[Little.Chuck]

Is she on Birth Control?

[CrystalChord]

Is she on Birth Control?

No, she is not on birth control pills. She says she's been trying to do that for four years, and that she hasn't been able to get into the doctor's to get information on them. So, this means she hasn't been to a doctor in four years for even a simple check-up.

[Little.Chuck]

Then in that case I'm not sure. She shoud go to the doctors, but I understand her not being able to afford it. The only other suggestion I have is her asking one of those online doctors. It costs around £3. Its better than sitting and doing nothing about it.

[CrystalChord]

She hasn't even been to an OBGYN in her entire adult life. You should visit one when you're 18 right? She's my age now (22) and she admitted she's never talked to a doctor about "girl" problems. I don't know if we have online doctors in America, and I don't know how much use they would be, considering that they aren't there to give you a full work-up.

[Little.Chuck]

I think its 21 in the UK.. Using one of those online doctors would likely be more productive than asking here and also same concept. Asking a stranger, the only difference being, it would be a qualified doctor.

[BasketCase]

Ask her to research the free health clinic's in her area. Most major city's have several free health clinic's. The health dept in my town offers free mamograms, birth control, papsmears, sexual transmitted disease testing, and several other procedures that women need on a regular basis. If she goes in for a free papsmear they will be able to identify anything unusual. They may be able to help her or they make have to refer her to a real doctor (if they don't have the resources to treat her). Their is assitance out there for people in her situation. She may just need BC to help regulate her.. They also test for HPV which is know to cause cervical cancer. I had to use the serice a few years ago. I was given free testing, a free mamogram, a free papsmear and a years worth of BC pills for 6 dollors.