Vaginal infections types

Vaginal infections, also known as vaginitis, are common among women. The prevalence in the USA is around 29% with 5-25% among college students. Also, approximately 16% of pregnant women have bacterial vaginal infections types.

In this article, you will learn the different vaginal infections types, how to differentiate between them, and some natural remedies.

Vaginal infections symptoms

Vaginal infections symptoms can be annoying and even embarrassing sometimes. These symptoms include:

Vaginal bleeding
Vaginal itching
Abnormal (in color or smell) vaginal discharge
Pain during urination
Painful sex

Each kind of infection (bacterial/yeast/protozoal) produces characteristic symptoms. Recognizing these symptoms can be very helpful.

Types of vaginal infections

There are different vaginal infections type. They include:

Yeast infections, caused by Candida albicans
Bacterial infections, caused by Gardnerella vaginalis
Protozoal infections, caused by Trichomonas vaginalis

Bacterial infections

The most common cause of bacterial vaginosis is Gardnerella vaginalis. It causes almost 50% of all cases.

The different risk factors include sexual intercourse (but not a sexually transmitted disease), intrauterine devices, vaginal douching, and pregnancy.

The very characteristic feature of Gardnerella infections is the presence of gray or milky discharge with a fishy odor. Pruritis and pain are usually uncommon.

Suppose you are pregnant and experiencing these symptoms. In that case, you must visit your physician right away because it can lead to abortion, preterm delivery, and postpartum endometritis.

Yeast infections

This is the second most common cause of vaginitis, causing around 9-17% of all cases. It is not transmitted sexually and is not related to intercourse.

An essential risk factor for yeast infections is immunodeficiency due to diabetes or HIV. Therefore, you might want to consider testing yourself for these conditions if you are experiencing a yeast infection. But please note that the disease could happen by itself in completely healthy adults and is not necessarily associated with diabetes or HIV.

The features here are different from the bacterial one. They include white, crumbly, and sticky vaginal discharge that may appear like cottage cheese and is typically odorless.

Vaginal burning sensation, pruritis, painful sex, and painful urination are common, unlike bacterial vaginosis.

Protozoal infections

Protozoal infections are the third most common type, with 4-35% of all cases. They are transmitted sexually.

The type of discharge is foul-smelling, frothy yellow-green, purulent discharge. It can lead to pruritis, burning sensations, painful sex, and painful urination.

If you are diagnosed with the condition and started on treatment, your sexual partner should be treated as well because otherwise, you will become reinfected again.

Treatment & how to avoid

The treatment for all of these conditions is medical. For instance, protozoal and bacterial infections are treated with oral metronidazole. In contrast, yeast infections are treated with topical antifungal drugs like miconazole or single-dose oral fluconazole.

They are many ways to avoid getting the different vaginal infections types. They include:

Proper hygiene
Wearing cotton underwear and avoiding nylon underwear, leggings, and tight jeans
Eating yogurt can help support your healthy vaginal bacteria and lower the risk of Bacterial vaginosis
Using condoms can help lower the risk of transmission of Trichomonas vaginalis and other STDs
Controlling your diabetes can be helpful if you have a vaginal yeast infection

Take-home point

Vaginal infections can be annoying and cause a lot of distress. They can result in vaginal discharge, irritation, and pain. The exact symptoms vary by type (summarized below). The best way to get rid of them is via medical treatment from a board-certified physician.

	Bacterial vaginosis	Trichomoniasis	Vaginal yeast infection
Discharge	Gray/milky Fishy odor	Frothy, yellow-green Foul-smelling	White, crumbly, and thick (cottage cheese-like) Odorless
Pain	Painless	Painful	Painful