What makes your privates itch

When symptoms do appear, they typically include vaginal itching and an abnormal, foul-smelling discharge. The discharge may be thin and dull gray or white. In some cases, it might also be foamy.

Numerous STDs can be transmitted during unprotected sexual intercourse and cause itching in the vagina. These include:. These conditions can also cause additional symptoms, including abnormal growths, green or yellow vaginal discharge, and pain while urinating. Women who are going through menopause or who have already done so are more at risk for vaginal itching.

This is due to the reduction of estrogen levels that occur during menopause, which leads to vaginal atrophy. This is a thinning of the mucosa that can lead to excessive dryness. It might occur when stress weakens your immune system, leaving you more prone to the infections that cause itching.

In rare cases, vaginal itching may be a symptom of vulvar cancer. It includes the inner and outer lips of the vagina, the clitoris, and the opening of the vagina. Vulvar cancer may not always cause symptoms. However, when symptoms do occur, they may include itching, abnormal bleeding, or pain in the vulvar area. Vulvar cancer can be treated successfully if your doctor diagnoses it in the early stages.

This is another reason that yearly gynecologist checkups are essential. You should also contact your doctor if your vaginal itching persists for more than one week or if your itching occurs along with the following symptoms:.

Your doctor will ask you about your symptoms, including how severe they are and how long they have lasted. They may ask you about your sexual activities as well. During a pelvic examination, your doctor will visually inspect the vulva and may use a speculum to see inside the vagina.

They may press down on your abdomen while inserting a gloved finger into your vagina. This allows them to check the reproductive organs for any abnormalities.

To help with the vaginal atrophy, you can try an over-the-counter vaginal moisturizer, which comes in both cream and suppository forms. Or, if you're just experiencing the dryness or itching during or after sex, you can use coconut oil or another natural lubricant during sex to help curb some of those symptoms, says Dr. Here are some other ways sex after 50 can change. Although less likely than the other causes to create itching, sexually transmitted infections STIs are still something your gynecologist is thinking about when you come in with vaginal itching, says Williams.

One STI in particular that he or she might consider is trichomoniasis. While no one wants any STI, treatment of trich consists of oral medication and should go away fairly quickly once you start taking meds though you can get reinfected. Other STIs can cause itching, including chlamydia , genital herpes, and genital warts, says Dr. If you think you might have an STI it's important to get to your doctor for testing to see what exactly is going on down there and how to treat it most effectively.

And of course, make sure your partner always wears a condom to protect against any STIs. It's important to note that if your symptoms don't improve with treatment, be sure to see your doctor again. Persistent vaginal itching that doesn't improve could be a sign of vulvar cancer.

While this form of cancer is rare, vaginal itching is a common symptom. The most important thing to remember, regardless of what's causing your vaginal itching, is that there are solutions no matter what the root of the cause is.

Weight Loss. But if possible, fight the urge to scratch. Scratching sensitive vaginal tissues may increase irritation and lead to infection. You should also see your doctor if the itching continues after using an over-the-counter yeast infection remedy. Learn about potential causes of vaginal itch during your period, such as irritation, yeast infection, bacterial vaginosis, and trichomoniasis.

Rubbing very hard on your penis — whether during sex or masturbation — can create enough heat to burn and scrape off skin. This is called a friction…. Jock itch is typically easy to treat, but some cases can grow out of control or become resistant to treatment. Jock itch is a fungal infection. It causes a rash that often itches or burns. The rash may be red, flaky, or scaly. While jock itch is bothersome…. Hello Rory offers treatments for a wide range of health concerns, from skin issues to reproductive health and more.

Overall, reviews of Rory are quite…. Vaginal peeling can be caused by many conditions and may include vaginal itching, burning, or swelling. Accurate diagnosis is important for effective….

Menorrhagia is the clinical term for a heavy or abnormally long menstrual flow. A doctor can help identify an underlying cause and come up with a…. Minkin says a lichen sclerosus rash can often mimic vulvar cancer, so its appearance may complicate things a little. When your hormones fluctuate during your menstrual cycle, you might end up with drier vaginal tissue than normal, which can cause itching. But Dr. Minkin points out that perimenopause that time period before you actually start menopause is a more common time for vaginal dryness and itching, thanks to the drop in estrogen.

An OTC moisturizer like Replens can usually provide relief from internal itching for about three days, Dr. Minkin says, and your provider can give you a prescription estrogen cream for any external itching. A urinary tract infection UTI is a bacterial infection that crops up anywhere in your urinary tract read: kidneys, urethra, ureters, and bladder , and will commonly cause pelvic pain, a strong urge to pee, a burning sensation when you pee, and cloudy or foul-smelling urine.

Minkin confirms that it can also cause itching in the form of a tingling, irritated sensation, especially if the infection is located near your urethra. You need to snag an appointment with your doctor and get a urinalysis to check for the presence of bacteria which an antibiotic can clear up.

In the past few decades, women have grown more preoccupied with the appearance of their vulvas, says Dr. Minkin—something she attributes to the trend of having less hair down there. Which means many women have also tried out some pretty unconventional beauty treatments, like activated charcoal vulva masks basically a facial for your vagina and vaginal steaming.

The less stuff you do to it, the better. Not only can they up your risk of developing skin cancer, but tanning in the nude can give you a burn on the skin around the vagina. So yeah, just don't do this in the first place, please. But if you do somehow end up with a burn downstairs, Dr. Your bikini area is just as sensitive—if not more so—to razor burns and irritation from shaving or waxing your hair. If you have curly or coarser hair down there, you're more at risk for razor bumps and ingrowns, since it's easier for this kind of hair to become caught under the skin's surface.

Medeiros adds that not having access to good quality depilatories and shavers can also put you at a greater risk of developing itching from hair removal irritation. Chinn recommends applying hypoallergenic cream or lotions to protect the skin, as well as keeping it dry and clean. Vulvar cancer is a rarer cancer that's typically diagnosed in older women, says Dr. It's caused by an abnormal growth of cancerous cells in the vulva.