it burns when i pee

another one for the list of ER moments that suck:

telling a 16y/o girl that the painful "tears" on her vagina that burn when she pees are not abrasions from her tight jeans like she thought but are actually a horrible case of herpes that she contracted from her 18y/o boyfriend with whom she is having unprotected sex -- the first boy she has ever boinked. i had to explain that herpes is a viral infection that will rear it's ugly head intermittently for the rest of her life. nothing like getting an incurable lifelong disease from your first boyfriend. i also got to tell her that the stinky yellow vaginal discharge she is experiencing is from the gonorrhea her boyfriend had also passed along to her.

unfortunately her mother did not speak english and after i explained it 3 times in spanish she still could not understand how her daughter got this infection since "she told me she doesn't have sex". sorry mom, but yes she is having "relaciones sexuales" and it is with a very dirty boy. i also had to explain that she also needs to go to a public health clinic and get tested for syphilis and HIV since her boyfriend has obviously been around the block a few times and she is at risk.

mom was stunned, but my poor patient was crying her eyes out and trying to cope with the horrible news. i did share the good news that at least she isn't pregnant.

i only pray her HIV test is negative.