so glad i just found this forum. i've had 4 of these cysts in the last year and it's driving me crazy. i really was thinking i was the only one getting these this often until i found this site. i work as a bike messenger so i'm going crazy figuring out a way to prevent them (taking hot baths doesn't help all that much if i still have to bike all day every day, but i still take them anyway). each time i find one i go to the doctor and get antibiotics and it goes away in roughly 6 days. the first time i found one on me (and they're always on my labia, always on the left side but not in exactly the same spot), I freaked out because i had no idea what it was, thought it was an STI or something so I went to Planned Parenthood to get it checked out. the nurse was very helpful, told me it was a Bartholin's Cyst, told me to use warm compresses on it a few times every day, and gave me antibiotics. i go to my private doctor now since it's impossible to get appointments at PP, and since it's a recurring thing I just tell him that i have the cyst again and he gives me antibiotics for it. however, now that i just discovered a 4th one on me, i'm kinda freaking out about how much longer i can stand having to deal with it and how i can really prevent it. i'm starting to feel like i need to just quit my job and ride less, but until i figure out what i'm doing next with my life, i need to figure out something in the meantime. i've gotten some good tips from reading all the previous comments, but if anyone else has any more tips for prevention, i would greatly appreciate it!