Last updated on October 21, 2020
Question:
I get a bump close to my genitals just before my period comes. The bump doesn’t appear in the same place every time. It doesn’t happen every month, but it happens more often than not. It doesn’t really hurt much and there’s no itching, redness, oozing, or soreness. What could this mean?
Answer:
Most likely it is an oil gland that is swelling. The medical term for it is a sebaceous cyst. The changes in your hormone levels just prior to your period is causing an oil gland to overproduce. If it puts out more oil than it can release or the opening gets blocked, the gland swells and feels like a small bump just under the surface of the skin. As your hormones continue to change, the oil production slows back down and the swelling disappears.