Anonymous asked: I have a weird, painful red bump on my outer labia. I've only been with my husband for the past 3 years and haven't been exposed to herpes or genital warts. It doesn't look like a pimple or an ingrown hair, just a painful red bump. Any idea what it could be?

I detail different bumps in my FAQ, maybe one will sound familiar:  If it’s a large, red, painful bump with a head it sounds like a cyst. If you put a warm compress on it it’ll help with the pain. If the bumps are on either side of your vaginal opening it could be a bartholin gland cyst. If it’s painful you need to go to a doctor. Usually the infection goes away before it gets painful but if it doesn’t it’ll need treatment. If it’s a clump of bumps that looks like a cauliflower it’s genital warts. if it’s a few to a lot of painful red blister looking things that pop and crust over it could be herpes. If it just looks like regular acne, vulva acne is common and will go down as you age just like regular acne. If it kind of looks like gooseflesh (or your arm whenever you get “goosebumps” and you’ve always had them, it’s probably fordyce spots. They can occur on both penises and vulvas and are totally harmless. If it is small, painless and kind of resembles a pearl it could be  Molluscum contagiosum. It can also occur in a line of bumps. This is a viral infection and you should see a doctor for it. If you have multiple red lesions and blackheads that enlarge, break open and drain pus it could be Hidradenitis suppurativa. It is a skin problem that’s considered a severe form of acne.