| Sign / Symptom |
Possible cause |
Treatment |
Remarks |
| Abnormal clearish
discharge from vagina |
Chlamydia |
Doxycycline, tetracycline
or azithromycin |
Needs lab test initially and on
follow up to ensure treatment is successful. Lab tests are not available in
all countries / regions. |
| Discharge of pus from
vagina, marking pants |
Gonorrhoea
Bacterial Vaginosis
Trichomonas |
Antibiotic Flagyl
Flagyl |
Lab tests to confirm.
Gonorrhoea is sexually transmitted. Bacterial vaginosis is caused by
overgrowth of normal bacteria. Trichomonas: Not really an STI. Men carry it but don’t usually have signs.
Can be passed on by sex between women if fluid
from the vagina is exchanged. |
| White curdy itchy
discharge from vagina |
Thrush |
Several effective |
Very
common. Sexually transmissible but not necessarily anything to do with
your partner. Often due to overgrowth of one
of the body’s normal germs, a kind of yeast, particularly after
antibiotic for something else. |
| Smelly "fishy"
discharge from vagina |
Bacterial Vaginosis |
Flagyl etc |
Common. Sexually
transmissible but not necessarily anything to do with your partner. Often
due to overgrowth of one
of the body’s normally harmless germs, but needs treatment because it
can cause complications. Tell doctor if you may be
pregnant. |
| Pain on passing water
(peeing). Urge to pass water frequently. |
Infection of urethra or
bladder |
Selected antibiotics |
Common. Can be due to an
STI but could be a urinary tract infection. Needs treatment because may lead to
kidney damage. Seek medical advice. |
| Itchy or painful, cold
sore-like recurring ulcers or blisters in and around vagina |
Herpes. |
Zovirax: controls but
rarely cures |
Very common. The genital equivalent
of cold sores. Spread by body contact and oral sex. Seek medical help & tell doctor if
you may be pregnant. |
Itchy skin, reddish rash
in pubic area
Generalised itchy rash |
Lice
Scabies |
Parasiticidal preparations |
Contagious. Easily treated. Visit sexual health (GUM) clinic. |
| Genital warts |
HPV |
Various treatments |
Sexually transmissible
and caused by a virus. Spread by
body contact. Warts can readily be removed surgically or with ointments. |
| Painless
watery papule or blister on or in the entrance to the vagina.
Weepy discharge. Later a general skin rash on most of the body. |
Syphilis |
Antibiotic |
Usually sexually
transmitted. Distinguished from the much commoner herpes because latter
are painful. Syphilis is very infectious. Papule initially goes away if
untreated by infection invades whole body and reappears in a more serious
form. Easily confirmed by laboratory tests. Fairly easily and cheaply
treated but it is really important that you don't delay. There are also
non sexually transmitted forms in warm regions of the world. |
