General Information

• Vaginitis: Vaginitis is a general term that means "vaginal inflammation." Vaginal discharge and genital itching are the symptoms of vaginitis. Vaginitis may occur because of chemical irritation (e.g., excessive douching, or excessive use of over the counter yeast medication) or vaginitis may have an infectious cause. The three main infectious types of vaginitis are:  
  • Candidiasis (thick, white, cottage cheese-like, non-odorous discharge)
  • Trichomonas (foamy, yellow-green foul-smelling discharge)
  • Bacterial vaginosis (white-gray discharge, fishy odor).
• Vaginal Foreign Bodies: Vaginal foreign bodies (e.g., forgotten tampon) must be removed to prevent vaginal infection. Sometimes these are not discovered until after the woman goes into the doctor for a bad-smelling vaginal discharge.
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Gonnorrhea and Chlamydia are sexually transmitted diseases the symptoms of which may include a new or abnormal vaginal discharge. Other symptoms can include pain with urination, pelvic pain, and bleeding.