On this page

Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

• Related Issues
• Specifics

See, Play and Learn

• Health Check Tools

Research

• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Find an Expert

For You

• Teenagers
• Patient Handouts

Summary

Vaginal problems are some of the most common reasons women go to the doctor. They may have symptoms such as:

• Itching
• Burning
• Pain
• Abnormal bleeding
• Discharge

One common problem is vaginitis, an inflammation of the vagina. Other problems that affect the vagina include sexually transmitted infections (STIs), vaginal cancer, and vulvar cancer. Treatment of vaginal problems depends on the cause.

Start Here

• Vagina: What's Normal, What's Not (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• Pelvis Ultrasound (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
• Vaginal Discharge (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• Vaginal pH: Home Use Tests (Food and Drug Administration)

Treatments and Therapies

• How to Use Vaginal Tablets, Suppositories, and Creams (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists)

Related Issues

• Douching (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health) Also in Spanish
• Vaginal Odor (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Specifics

• About Trichomoniasis (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
• Bartholin's Cyst (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Vaginal Atrophy (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Vaginitis: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Health Check Tools

• Genital Problems in Women (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Vaginal Diseases (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Short and long-term effect of polycarbophil vaginal gel on vaginal atrophy...
• Article: An effective non-hormonal option with high tolerability for mild to moderate...
• Article: Effect of stress urinary incontinence on vaginal microbial communities.
• Vaginal Diseases -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Also in Spanish
• How to Find Find an Ob-Gyn (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists)
• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Teenagers

• Feeling Fresh (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Gyn Checkups (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Is My Vaginal Discharge Normal? (Nemours Foundation)
• Types of Hymens (Boston Children's Hospital) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Bartholin cyst or abscess (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Imperforate hymen (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Vaginal cysts (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Vaginal dryness (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Vaginal itching and discharge - adult and adolescent (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Vaginal itching and discharge - child (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish