Scarleteen

So I'm an AFAB person, 18 years old, and I masturbated using lube for the first time. However, I didn't look close enough on the lube I was using and realized after the fact that it was flavored lube, which is not recommended to use internally especially with vaginal sex as it can cause a yeast infection. This is the first time I've ever done something like this and I'm worried about getting a yeast infection. How concerned should I be over this/is there anything I can do to limit the damage it could cause to my body?

-Hollow

Hey Hollow -- there's a lot of dependent variables here. As it sounds like you already know, generally flavored lube is recommended for oral sex only as the glucose in most flavored lubes will feed yeast and thus can cause a vaginal yeast infection. Though this is definitely a thing that happens, it's not necessarily a direct cause and effect every time. It can even come down to your individual body's sensitivity to the ingredients. So, I don't think you should worry but I think it's a good idea to be aware of what's going on down there and be mindful of yeast infection symptoms. These can include itching, burning sensation while peeing, redness and/or swelling of your vulva, and thick white discharge (though there are times in the menstrual cycle where your discharge is on the thicker side, this will be the consistency of cottage cheese -trust me, you'll know it when you see it.) At the end of the day, yeast infections are quite common and there are a lot of over the counter remedies available at pharmacies. It won't cause lasting damage to your body as long as you treat it.

As far as what you can do now to prevent a yeast infection, I would suggest making sure you follow recommendations that generally prevent yeast infections to further keep yeast production at bay. These include wearing clean, "breathable" underwear, avoiding very tight clothing, not douching, keeping up daily hygiene, and avoiding use of overly scented hygiene products for your vulva and vagina (soaps, tampons, etc.)

Hope this helps a little bit!

Oh, I actually had never used flavoured lubes for the sex... I had no idea about how harmful they could be!

Hey Tery -- yep! I wouldn't say they're harmful outright, you just need to use flavored lube for its intended purposes.