Your vaginal health can have a big impact on your overall physical and emotional well-being. You can develop uncomfortable symptoms related to many different things, including infections and hormonal changes. It’s important to understand how your hygiene and sexual practices affect your vaginal health, as well as when you should see your doctor for treatment or a wellness check.
What Is the Vagina?Medically Reviewed by Kara Smythe, MD | August 31, 2023
FAQ
What are the symptoms of a yeast infection?
A vaginal yeast infection can cause itching, burning, or pain in your vagina and vulva, as well as a thick white vaginal discharge.
How is bacterial vaginosis treated?
A course of prescription antibiotics can clear up bacterial vaginosis. These come either as a pill you take by mouth, or as a gel, cream, or suppository you insert into your vagina.
Most often, vaginal dryness is caused by a drop in estrogen levels after menopause or childbirth, or during certain medical treatments. Medications like antihistamines and antidepressants can cause it too.
How often should I see a doctor for vaginal health?
Regular well-woman visits are important for good health. The frequency of those visits and the need for a physical exam will depend on your age and specific needs. See your doctor in between well-woman visits for any unusual symptoms.
Everyday Health’s team of board-certified physicians and health professionals contribute to the creation and review of content, ensuring that the information is useful, up to date, and accurate.
John Paul McHugh, MD, is an obstetrician-gynecologist and lifestyle medicine specialist in southern California. He has always placed wellness at the center of his work, in both del...
Allie Buttarazzi, MD, is a double board-certified internal medicine and lifestyle medicine physician, Direct Primary Care cofounder, and certified health and well-being coach. Thro...
Kara Smythe, MD, has been working in sexual and reproductive health for over 10 years. Dr. Smythe is a board-certified fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecolog...
Michelle Seguin, MD, is a board-certified family medicine, lifestyle medicine, and certified functional medicine physician (IFMCP). She is a practicing physician at Root Functional...
Maria Teresa Tam, MD, FACOG, FACS, is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist and minimally invasive gynecologic surgeon based in Chicago. She is the director of minimally inva...
Kayli Anderson is a registered dietitian with more than a decade of experience in nutrition, plant-based nutrition, and lifestyle medicine. She specializes in women’s health and ha...
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
Vagina: What’s Typical, What’s Not. Mayo Clinic. January 30, 2025.
6 Reasons You’re Spotting After Exercise When You’re Not Expecting Your PeriodMedically Reviewed by Veronica Johnson, MD, FAAP, FACP, Dipl. of ABOM | July 31, 2025
What Is Bacterial Vaginosis? Everything You Need to Know About Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, and PreventionMedically Reviewed by Kara Smythe, MD | February 10, 2023
