As a girl, as long as the itch, pain, and vaginal discharge abnormalities underneath, you will be extremely vigilant and afraid.
I don't dare to go to the hospital, I am afraid of finding out that I have a venereal disease, I am afraid of being "humiliated by a slut", I am afraid that my friends and family will know, and I am even more afraid of being rejected by my partner.
Under the mentality of shame and wanting to "cover up", some girls may choose to buy drugs online or go to a more "private" gynecological private hospital.
But there is a high probability that they will buy counterfeit drugs or be cheated by putian hospitals, spend more and more money, and the disease will be dragged more and more seriously...
Does vaginitis have to be inappropriate and self-loving?
Zhimei replied: No. Even if you get it, you don't have to be ashamed at all, and only by looking at it correctly can you better cope with it.
Image source: Stand Cool Helo
In our vaginas, there is a special ecosystem called the vaginal micro-ecosystem [1-3].
Under normal conditions, there are a variety of microorganisms in the vagina, and the well water between these microorganisms does not violate the river water, lives harmoniously in the vagina, and is interdependent and mutually restrictive with the vagina, so as to achieve a dynamic ecological balance.
This is the normal and healthy vaginal microecology that gives us a strong resistance.
However, once one day, the ecological balance in the vagina is broken, which may lead to the occurrence of vaginal infection.
The factors that affect this balance are not limited to sex.
Age, estrogen levels, antibiotic use, oral contraceptives, vaginal irrigation and medication, and even menstrual irritation are used in the form of sanitary napkins.
Both may cause changes in vaginal microorganisms, upsetting the balance of the vaginal microecology, and thus causing vaginitis.
1. Too "love clean", may get vaginitis
In order to be clean, vaginal lavage is often carried out with some so-called private lotion, which may change the vaginal flora, causing bacterial vaginitis [1], making people find fishy secretions and mild itching.
2. Infants and children and postmenopausal people may get vaginitis
Most of the reasons are related to estrogen levels.
Infant vulvovaginitis[4]
Infants under 5 years of age with low estrogen levels and poor local resistance may lead to vulvovaginal infection.
Atrophic vaginitis[1]
Women who have spontaneous or artificial menopause, postpartum amenorrhea, or receive medical sham menopause.
Due to a decrease in estrogen levels, an increase in the pH in the vagina, lactobacillus loses its dominance, other strains overproliferate, and the vaginal micro-ecosystem is unbalanced, causing inflammation.
3. These two types of vaginitis have a certain relationship with sexual behavior
Trichomoniasis vaginitis
Vaginitis caused by trichomonas vaginalis, which is directly transmitted through sexual intercourse, will have a thin purulent and foamy discharge of grayish yellow or yellow-green, as well as symptoms such as itching, burning, pain, and dyspareunia in the vulva.
Its culprit, trichomoniasis, parasitizes males in the folds of the foreskin, urethra or prostate. However, because men often have no symptoms after infection with trichomoniasis, resulting in delays in treatment, they are easy to become a source of infection [1].
Trichomoniasis can also be transmitted indirectly through public baths, swimming pools, etc. Places that are regular and disinfected do not have to worry about such problems.
Fungal vaginitis
Onset of the disease is more itchy, more painful, and even fidgety, burning pain, and has a white tofu residue-like discharge than other vaginitis.
It is caused by Candida saccharomyces, which, as opportunistic pathogenic bacteria, can cause symptoms after sex, but is not transmitted by sexual intercourse like trichomoniasis.
Candida may be present in the vaginas of 10 to 20 percent of non-pregnant women and 30 percent of pregnant women, but the amount of bacteria is relatively small and does not cause an inflammatory response [1].
Only when systemic and vaginal immunity declines does Candida begin to multiply in large numbers, attacking the vaginal tissue, causing inflammation.
And the most common trigger is actually hidden in our incorrect lifestyle.
For example, wearing tight chemical fiber underwear, or not changing sanitary napkins for a long time during menstruation, leads to an increase in local temperature and humidity in the vulva, which fuels the "rampant" breeding of Candida bacteria.
In addition, pregnancy, diabetes, long-term antibiotics, and heavy estrogen therapy may also be triggers for fungal vaginitis [1].
Seeing this, you must have understood that some unclean sexual behaviors can indeed lead to the occurrence of vaginitis, but most vaginitis does not belong to the category of STDs.
Even if there is no sexual activity at all, it can occur due to low immunity and even incorrect lifestyle habits.
With the suspected symptoms of vaginitis, there is no need to panic and be afraid, and there is no need to be ashamed, because this is too common for women, and it is regarded as a small cold, as long as it is treated well, it will soon be better.
If there is an increase in vaginal discharge, abnormal color and odor, or symptoms such as vulva and vaginal itching, burning pain, abnormal vaginal bleeding, and dyspareunia.
At this time, be careful not to self-diagnose, and use your own medication according to experience or online "strategies".
Because we can't diagnose whether we have vaginitis or what kind of vaginitis we have.
Buying medicine without permission may cost a lot of money to buy the wrong medicine, or buy deceptive private parts of the skin products, aggravating the disease.
So, it must be necessary to go to the hospital. Here are a few precautions for sisters to choose a hospital, which can be used when they are uncomfortable with private parts or menstrual irregularities and want to see a doctor:
1. Choose a public general hospital in this way
Generally speaking, the names are "xx county/city/provincial people's hospital" and "xx university affiliated xx hospital" are public hospitals.
You can also search the official website of the hospital, from the hospital profile, look at the nature of the hospital (public or private), as well as the level of the hospital, from the second-level hospital (district-level hospital) to the provincial third-class hospital can be selected.
2. Maternal and child health hospitals are also reliable
Those with the words "Maternal and Child Health Hospitals (Institutes, Stations)" in their names are generally public, because medical institutions run by social forces are not allowed to use such names .[5]
3. Be careful of private hospitals
Private hospitals do have good hospitals, but don't choose such hospitals:
Hospitals that overpack a single disease (e.g., for gynaecological inflammation);
The pop-up window of the official website cannot be closed, there are 24-hour services, overly enthusiastic customer service, and as soon as you come up, you will ask your name and telephone to make an appointment for the outpatient hospital;
Hospitals that promise 100% cure.
If you are unfortunate enough to go to such a hospital, you are also diagnosed with "cervical erosion" and "pelvic effusion", treat light waves, microwaves, infrared, gene therapy over and over again, and you have to do "surgery", that is, you have encountered Putian Hospital, and it is too late to run!
Vaginitis is just a "small cold" in the vagina, even if you get it, you haven't done anything wrong, don't believe those words that "getting vaginitis is improper and not self-loving".
I hope the sisters don't fear it and treat it well.
Reviewer
Liu Haiphong | Deputy Chief Physician of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University
bibliography
Xie Xing,Kong Beihua,Duan Tao. Obstetrics and Gynecology (Ninth Edition)[M].People's Medical Publishing House.2018.
Liao Qinping. Evaluation of vaginal microecology and vaginal microecology in women[J].Journal of Practical Obstetrics and Gynecology,2010,26(02):81-83.
Xiao Bingbing,Liao Qinping. Advances in vaginal microecology[J].International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,2011,38(06):479-482.
Chen Zhengyun,Lin Jun. Diagnosis and treatment of pediatric genital tract infection[J].Chinese Journal of Practical Gynecology and Obstetrics,2004(09):5-8.
[5] Circular of the Ministry of Health on Printing and Distributing the Measures for the Administration of Maternal and Child Health Care Institutions. http://www.nhc.gov.cn/wjw/gfxwj/201304/5aac934c79714c02b6acb688b16554b1.shtml
*The content of this article is a popularization of health knowledge and cannot be used as a specific diagnosis and treatment recommendation, nor is it a substitute for face-to-face consultation by a practicing physician, for reference only.
*The copyright of this article belongs to Tencent Medical Code, unauthorized media reprinting is prohibited, and illegal reprinting will be investigated for legal responsibility according to law. Individuals are welcome to forward to the circle of friends.
* Welcome to WeChat search and pay attention to the public account "Tencent Medical Code" to get more health science knowledge.