I have had itchy genitals for almost a week now, before my…

Women with vulvar itching sometimes have other symptoms. These can include:

●Burning or stinging

●A "raw" feeling, like the vulva was rubbed by something rough

●Redness

●Vaginal discharge

Do you have any of these (if your period is over now)? The cottage cheese discharge you described is common with yeast infections, but sometimes people have more than one infection at a time.

It may be best to be checked by your doctor, especially if you think you are at risk for other infections.

Vaginal itching has many different causes. Some common causes include

●Allergies or skin irritation from soap, lotion, or another product that was on the vulva

●Infections in the vagina or vulva

●A skin disease called "lichen sclerosus" – This disease causes itching and skin changes. (Less likely)

●Pubic lice, also called "crabs" – These are tiny insects that can live in the hair around the vulva.

If it is a yeast infection....

The fungus that causes yeast infections normally lives in the vagina and the gut. Even though the yeast are there, they do not usually cause symptoms. Certain medicines (especially antibiotics), stress, and other factors can cause the fungus to grow more than it should. When that happens, a yeast infection can start.

I've had some patients tell me they are convinced a change in birth control caused a yeast infection for themm.

It would be best to be tested to be sure there isn't anything else. Untreated infections can cause long term health issues (like infertility).

While condoms are not 100% effective against all STD's, they do help prevent transmission. (Herpes and genital warts can still be passed on the skin that isn't covered). Please protect yourself and be safe!

Here is some nagging info :)

There are a number of infections that can be spread during sexual activity. Infections can be spread through sexual intercourse, anal sex, oral sex, and using fingers, other body parts, or sex toys that have come in contact with another person's genitals or body fluids. These diseases are called sexually transmitted infections, or STIs (often called sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs). Common places STIs can occur are the genital organs, anus, and throat.

Research has shown that young people are at an increased risk of catching STIs. The reasons for this are not completely understood. However, the younger you are when you start having sex, the more likely it is that you will get an STI. Also, having one STI can make it easier to acquire other STIs at the same time.

In many cases, you can get an STI and not know it. This is because STIs often do not have any noticeable signs or symptoms. All of the STIs can have serious consequences for future health, even when there are no symptoms. For example, a woman who gets an STI may have difficulty becoming pregnant later in life or may be more prone to developing certain types of cancer, such as cervical cancer. You can lower your risk of future complications by following your doctor's or nurse's instructions about treatment if you do get an STI.

Some of the most important STIs are:

— Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common STI in adolescents. Most people who get HPV do not know they have it. Some types of HPV cause genital warts. Other types of HPV cause cervical cancer in women, penile cancer in men, and anal or oropharyngeal cancer in either sex. A Pap smear is one important way your health care clinician can screen for cervical cancer associated with HPV.

In addition, there are vaccines to protect against common types of HPV. The vaccine is recommended for both males and females. Speak to your health care clinician about this important vaccine, even if you are not currently sexually active or thinking about becoming sexually active. The ideal time to receive this vaccine is before you have engaged in any type of sexual activity. That is when it is most effective at prevention.

— HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is the virus that causes AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome). HIV is a serious, incurable disease of the immune system. In the past, everyone who developed AIDS died. Although there is no cure for HIV and no vaccine to prevent it, there are treatments that help many people with HIV infection live longer. However, many people still die each year from AIDS.

Treatment of HIV-positive persons until the HIV virus is no longer detectable in their blood has the added benefit of significantly reducing the risk of transmission of HIV to HIV-negative partners. This is known as treatment as prevention (TasP). There also is a medication that can be taken daily by HIV-negative persons who are at risk of HIV to reduce their risk of acquiring the infection. This is known as PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis).

Each year in the United States, approximately 50,000 people are newly infected with HIV. Approximately 25 percent of these new infections are in young people 13 to 24 years old. Recommendations call for those who have been sexually active to be tested routinely for HIV infection. The earlier HIV is detected, the sooner a person can obtain treatment and the better the chances are of survival. Treatments for HIV have come a long way since HIV was first recognized, and people with HIV may now lead normal, full lives, provided they seek health care soon enough and take all of the medicine prescribed to them. Speak to your health care clinician about HIV testing.

Syphilis — This is an infection caused by a small organism called a spirochete (/SPY-ro-keet/), which can cause an ulcer on a person's genitals or anus. It has become more common in teens and young adults, especially in certain cities and areas of the United States. Sometimes you may not notice the ulcer because it does not usually cause pain or may be on the inside of the vagina (in females) or anus (in either sex). It is important to see your health care clinician right away if you notice any sores or ulcers. The sore usually heals but can cause serious long-term problems if untreated. Syphilis can usually be cured with antibiotics.

Gonorrhea and chlamydia — These are serious bacterial infections of the genital tract. They can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in females, which can cause severe pain, lead to infertility (inability to become pregnant), and/or increase the risk of ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy implanting in a Fallopian tube or elsewhere than the uterus, or womb). Gonorrhea and chlamydia also can cause epididymitis in males. Both gonorrhea and chlamydia can be cured with antibiotics. It is important to be screened for these infections if you have had sex because most people do not have any symptoms.

Herpes simplex virus — This is a viral infection that causes painful or itchy sores or blisters in the genital area. The sores heal but can reappear at any point later in life. There is no cure. The virus can be spread even when there are no sores present. Most people with herpes do not have symptoms so they do not know that they might infect a sexual partner. Medications are available from your health care clinician to shorten the length of time the sores last and decrease your risk of repeat outbreaks. If you have been diagnosed with herpes, discuss with your doctor the option of daily prophylactic medication that can reduce your risk of repeat outbreaks and spread of herpes to sex partners.

Hepatitis B virus — This is a viral infection that can cause liver disease. In most cases, the disease goes away after the initial illness. But in some people, serious liver damage or liver failure can occur. Most children and adolescents are being vaccinated against this infection with a series of three shots. You should speak to your health care clinician if you are not sure if you have had this vaccine.

— Hepatitis C virus is a viral infection that can cause serious liver damage or liver failure. Liver disease can occur even in people without symptoms. Hepatitis C is diagnosed with a blood test. Hepatitis C infection can usually be treated with medications, and with newer treatments, many patients can be cured.

Trichomonas — Trichomonas ("trich") is a common infection caused by a tiny parasite that can cause itching and/or a discharge from a female's vagina or a male's penis. Females notice symptoms far more often than males, although both sexes can be infected without having any symptoms. Due to the types of testing available, trich is most often diagnosed in females, but an infection in either sex requires treatment by a health care clinician. If a sex partner informs you she or he has been diagnosed with trich, you should seek treatment for this infection right away even if you have no symptoms. Trich can be cured with antibiotics.

The only way to be sure you will not get an STI is to not have sex. STIs can be transmitted through sexual intercourse, oral sex, anal sex, and using fingers, other body parts, or sex toys that have come in contact with another person's genitals or body fluids. STIs can be transmitted between a male and a female, between two females, and between two males who have sex.

It is not possible to tell by looking at someone whether he or she has an STI. Even if the other person tells you he or she does not have an STI or says he or she is "clean," you cannot be sure this is true. That is because the person may not know if he or she is infected. Also, it is common for teens to not be completely truthful about many things in relationships, including whether they may have been exposed to an STI.

Condom and dental dam use — People who are sexually active can reduce their risk of getting an STI by using a latex or polyurethane condom every time they have sex. Male condoms are worn on the penis, helping to prevent body fluids from passing to another person. Unlubricated condoms can be used for oral sex. Female condoms are also available and can be placed in the vagina to help prevent fluids from passing from one person to another. (If a male and female are having sex, only one should wear a condom. If both the male and female wear a condom, the condoms could rub together and move out of place.)

Dental dams (ie, squares of latex) are another barrier device that can be used when performing oral-vaginal sex on a female or oral-anal sex on a partner of either sex. A dental dam can be made by cutting an unlubricated condom lengthwise so it forms a square.

Condoms and dental dams reduce the risk of getting an STI, but they do not take away the risk completely. Condoms can break or leak, allowing passage of body fluids and transmission of infection. In addition, condoms do not completely cover all of the skin that is exposed during sex; herpes and HPV can be passed by skin-to-skin contact. Other birth control methods do not reduce the risk of STIs.

You can reduce the risk that a male condom will break or slip off in two ways. First, make sure the penis is completely hard before putting on the condom. Also, be sure to squeeze and hold the tip of the condom as you roll the rest of it down the penis, making sure there is no air pocket (like a small balloon) at the end of the penis. After ejaculation (male orgasm) during penile-vaginal sex, the penis should be pulled out of the vagina while it is still a little hard. It is important to hold the condom around the base of the penis when pulling out to prevent leakage of semen into the vagina. Similar precautions should be taken before and after penile-anal sex, whether with male or female partners.

Immunizations — Another way to reduce the risk of two specific STIs (HPV and hepatitis B) is to talk to a health care clinician about immunizations. As previously mentioned, most children and adolescents are routinely immunized against hepatitis B in the United States. The HPV vaccine is now available to males and females aged nine years and older.

I hope you are feeling better soon.

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Thanks!

Be well,

Dr Lee

You can try an over-the-counter yeast cream like Monistat, but until we know the cause, it would simply be the best guess. If it is a yeast infection, wearing loose cotton underwear is best (yeast likes warm moist places, so allowing the area to "breathe" is helpful).

I hope it helps!

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