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National Institutes of Health
Vaginal Diseases
Symptoms such as vaginal itching, burning, pain and discharge are some of the most common reasons that women seek medical care. Often, the problem is vaginitis, an inflammation of the vagina. In women of childbearing age, the most common cause is a bacterial infection. The main symptom is a smelly vaginal discharge, but some women have no symptoms. The treatment is antibiotics.
Other infections that can cause vaginitis include trichomoniasis and yeast infections. Some other causes of vaginal symptoms, including vaginal bleeding, are sexually transmitted diseases, vaginal cancer and vulvar cancer.
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
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Latest News
- Bacterial Vaginosis Increases Female-to-Male HIV Transmission Risk(06/26/2012, HealthDay)
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Diagnosis/Symptoms
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Colposcopy
(Patient Education Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
- Genital Problems in Women(American Academy of Family Physicians)
- Also available in Spanish
- Ultrasound Imaging of the Pelvis(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
- Also available in Spanish
- Vaginal Discharge(American Academy of Family Physicians)
- Also available in Spanish
- Vaginal pH: Home-Use Tests(Food and Drug Administration)
- Vaginitis: Questions to Discuss with Your Doctor(Harvard Medical School)
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Colposcopy
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Prevention/Screening
- Understanding Abnormal Pap Test Results(American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) - PDF
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Specific Conditions
- Bacterial Vaginosis(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Also available in Spanish
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Bacterial Vaginosis(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
- Bartholin's Gland Cyst(American Academy of Family Physicians)
- Also available in Spanish
- Vaginal Anomalies: Vaginal Agenesis(American Urological Association)
- Vaginal Atrophy(Hormone Health Network) - PDF
- Vaginal Atrophy(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Vaginal Dryness(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Vaginal Yeast Infection(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
- Vaginitis(American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) - PDF
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Vaginitis(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
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Related Issues
- Bartholin Cyst(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Douching(Dept. of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)
- Also available in Spanish
- Vaginal Odor(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Health Check Tools
- Vaginal Discharge(DSHI Systems)
- Vaginal Itching(DSHI Systems)
- Vaginal Pain(DSHI Systems)
- Vaginal Sores(DSHI Systems)
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Tutorials
- Colposcopy(Patient Education Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
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Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Candidiasis, Vulvovaginal(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Vaginal Diseases(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Vaginitis(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Vaginosis, Bacterial(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Candidiasis, Vulvovaginal
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Research
- Dilators More Cost-Effective Than Surgery for Correcting Congenital Condition in Females(Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
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Directories
- ACOG's Physician Directory(American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists)
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Organizations
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Children
- Vaginal Anomalies: Cloacal Anomalies(American Urological Association)
- Vaginal Anomalies: Congenital Vaginal Obstruction(American Urological Association)
- Vaginal Anomalies: Fusion and Duplication(American Urological Association)
- Vaginal Anomalies: Urogenital Sinus(American Urological Association)
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Teenagers
- Are Changes in My Vaginal Discharge OK?(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
- Bacterial Vaginosis(American Academy of Pediatrics)
- Breast and Pelvic Exams(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
- Feeling Fresh(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
- I've Never Had My Period, So What Is This Discharge?(Nemours Foundation)
- Types of Hymens(Children's Hospital Boston)
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Patient Handouts
- Bacterial Vaginosis(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF
- Bartholin's abscess
- Also available in Spanish
- Culture - endocervix
- Also available in Spanish
- Endocervical gram stain
- Also available in Spanish
- Vaginal cysts
- Also available in Spanish
- Vaginal discharge
- Also available in Spanish
- Vaginal dryness
- Also available in Spanish
- Vaginal itching
- Also available in Spanish
- Vaginal yeast infection
- Also available in Spanish
- Vaginitis - self-care
- Also available in Spanish
- Vaginitis test - wet mount
- Also available in Spanish
- Vulvovaginitis
- Also available in Spanish
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You may also be interested in these related encyclopedia pages:
MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA
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Vaginal Diseases - Multiple Languages