﻿Common Types of Vaginal Infections | Everyday Health

Common Types of Vaginal Infections

Burning, itching, and an unpleasant odor are just some of the common symptoms of vaginal infections. But treatments vary by condition, so it's important to know which type of vaginal infection you have.

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If you have persistent vaginal symptoms, get tested by a doctor so you can get the right treatment.Alamy

Vaginal infections and vaginitis, or inflammation of the vagina, are very common — so much so that most women will experience one or the other, and likely both, during their lifetime.

Symptoms of either a vaginal infection or vaginitis may include vaginal discharge, itching, burning, pain, and a strong odor.

While some vaginal infections are caused by sexually transmitted diseases, other very common ones are not.

Some women seem to be more prone to vaginal infections than others for reasons that are not entirely obvious, says Gregory R. Moore, MD, MPH, an obstetrician-gynecologist at Stamps Health Services at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta.

What Upsets the Normal Vaginal Ecosystem

A normal, healthy vagina contains bacteria and sometimes yeast without necessarily having an infection. But certain things can change the environment in the vagina, enabling bacterial or yeast overgrowth and causing symptoms. These include:

  • Douching, or rinsing the vagina with water or other liquid
  • Female hormone level changes
  • Taking antibiotics
  • Vaginal intercourse
  • Pregnancy and breastfeeding


RELATED: 8 Rules for a Healthy Vagina

The Most Common Types of Vaginal Infections

There are three very common types of vaginal infections, says Cynthia Krause, MD, assistant clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City: yeast infections, bacterial vaginosis, and trichomoniasis, a sexually transmitted infection.

Yeast Infection

The most common type of vaginitis, a yeast infection is caused by one of the many types of fungus known as candida. According to Dr. Krause, “There are many species of yeast, or candida — Candida albicans is the most common.”

Normally, candida live harmlessly in your body in small numbers, including in the vagina. But under certain conditions, an overgrowth of candida can occur, causing a vaginal infection.

Those conditions might include hormone level changes due to pregnancy, birth control pills, or menstruation. Some other conditions that raise the risk of vaginal yeast infections include having frequent or chronic high blood sugar and having lowered immunity because of a medical condition such as HIV or AIDS.

Symptoms of a vaginal yeast infection include a thick, white discharge that some women describe as resembling cottage cheese. Yeast infections also can cause vaginal itching and redness of the vulva (the lips of the external female genital area) and vagina.

Bacterial Vaginosis


Why bacteria levels change is not known, but the normal lactobacilli can be replaced by other, infection-causing bacteria.

Gardnerella is the bacteria most often associated with bacterial vaginosis,” Krause says. “It is the lack of lactobacilli and overgrowth with these other bacteria that cause the symptoms of infection.”

With bacterial vaginosis, a woman may see a thick or whitish discharge or one that is slippery and clear. It is not likely to itch or burn. A fishy odor may be noticeable, especially during intercourse.



Commonly called “trich,” it is caused by a single-celled parasite, Trichomonas vaginalis, and is passed from partner to partner during intercourse.


RELATED: Large Racial Disparity in World’s Most Common STI

Other Conditions That Affect the Vagina

Other common vaginal infections and causes of vaginal itching include:

Chlamydia Vaginitis 

Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted disease that can cause inflammation of the vagina. Some women will have a discharge with chlamydia and some will not. If the infection spreads beyond the vagina and cervix, women may experience bleeding between periods or after vaginal intercourse, according to Planned Parenthood.

“Sexually active women up to age 26 should be tested annually for chlamydia because it so often comes without symptoms and can linger and do a fair amount of damage to fertility,” Dr. Moore says.



Women who have gonorrhea often also have chlamydia, so a woman who tests positive for one of these bacterial infections will often also be treated for the other.

Noninfectious Vaginitis

Noninfectious vaginitis occurs when the skin around the vagina becomes sensitive to an irritant, such as scented tampons, perfumed soaps, or fabric softeners. This is not an infection, and the solution is simple: “Not to be exposed to whatever you are having a reaction to,” Moore says.

Another form of noninfectious vaginitis is called atrophic vaginitis, and it typically occurs when female hormone levels decrease around the time of menopause, and the vaginal walls become thinner, drier, and less flexible.

RELATED: 10 Symptoms of Menopause and Perimenopause

Vulvodynia: Persistent Pain of the Vulva

In vulvodynia women have chronic pain or discomfort of the vulva without a known cause. The symptoms are similar to vaginal infections: burning, stinging, rawness, soreness, and swelling. Symptoms may be constant or occasional.

Viral Vaginitis

Viruses also can cause vaginal infections. Most viruses that directly affect the vagina are spread through sexual contact.

“The herpes simplex virus is a common cause of viral vaginosis,” Moore says. Symptoms include pain in the genital area from lesions or sores. Most of the time, you can see the sores on the vulva or vagina, but they can also be hidden and seen only during an examination by your gynecologist.

Treatment for Vaginal Infections

All of these conditions can be treated, but it’s important to know which type of infection or other condition you have so it can be treated correctly.

“Yeast medication is available over the counter if you are certain that it is a yeast infection,” Krause says, but “sometimes women think they have a yeast infection and it is actually something else. If you try over-the-counter medications and they don’t work, you should see a doctor.”

Additional reporting by Ingrid Strauch.