Vaginal Thrush
Written by The Chaotic Diaries of a Brown Girl
That cottage cheese consistency discharge filling your panties and leaving you feeling like you want to rip your vagina off by attempting to relieve it from the unbearable itch, is just thrush. In other words, a yeast infection.
Have you ever watched episode 3 “Vagina Shame”, season 6 of Big Mouth where Jessi, a teenage girl, gets thrush and itches so hard to a point that it leaves her in further pain and with a swollen, red vagina? It’s quite an accurate representation of how intense the discomfort can feel.
Males can get thrush on their penis too but I don’t want to talk about males right now.
Before you are repulsed with your vagina or our fellow vagina owners, our vaginas need yeast. An imbalance of this is what causes an infection as such and it surely cannot be that disgusting, given 75% of women experience it. Yes men, your mothers too! The curse of thrush that affects 1 in 20 women is when it appears once, it is likely to come back again.
Welcome my thrush girls, thrush girl families, friends and partners!
Let talk about what this very normal but abnormal level of discomfort is, what is causing it and what we can do about it.
But before we continue, I must reiterate that thrush is not an STI (Sexually Transmitted Infection). You do not have to be sexually active to be cursed with this demon of infections.
What is vaginal thrush?
There is a fungus/yeast germ called candida living inside of us and its overgrowth is what thrush is. It is like good bacteria that aids the health of our bodies but it’s overgrowth is what our bodies have a problem with.
What are the symptoms of vaginal thrush?
Pain during sexual intercourse, thick, clumpy white discharge almost resembling cottage cheese, itchiness or soreness on the vulva (do not consistently itch this as much as you may be dying to, you’ll be left sore and itchy), the skin on your vulva may resemble paper cuts and redness/soreness around the vulva, vagina and sometimes, even labia major (refer to key terms at the bottom).
So not exactly a fun time. Do not wear tight jeans during this period! As if it couldn’t get worse, you will feel what I imagine hell probably feels like.
Some causes of vaginal thrush:
Antibiotics
Friction caused during sex or even from the use of larger tampons towards the end of your period, where there is a lack of lubrication/blood.
It can be passed on through sexual intercourse.
Diet
Pregnancy (please see GP)
Diabetes (please see GP)
Vaginal soaps or products (you don’t need anything but water and a gentle rub to clean your vulva - please do not give yourself a deep clean inside!)
Tight underwear or clothes, causing build up of heat and not allowing the vagina to breathe.
Heat - visiting a hot country and you suddenly have thrush is not abnormal.
The contraceptive pill (please discuss with GP)
Chemotherapy (please see GP)
HIV
Wearing wet bathing suits for too long (warm, wet and dark - the perfect environment for yeast)
You will be glad to know that thrush doesn’t result in a “smelly” vagina.
The vagina desires the slightly acidic pH of 3.8 to 4.2. The pH can be checked with an over the counter test which is kind of like a litmus test you may have done in your GCSE chemistry lessons. Anything of 4.5 of less can indicate that you have thrush.
Thrush sometimes clears itself up in a matter of days but thrush that last longer, can also be easily resolved with over the counter treatment. You may also consume yoghurt, a probiotic to counter the overgrowth of yeast to aid vaginal regulation, wear cotton underwear to allow your vagina to breathe and ensure you dry properly after washing your vulva.
The brand Canesten provides you with various treatment options. They have the oral pill that works well, a cream which you may apply on the vulva, intravaginal cream, “Thrush Duo” consisting of the oral capsule and external cream, but my favourite option for thrush that has lasted a little longer than a few days would be the vaginal pill and cream. I would advise inserting this pill at night and sleeping in some comfortable underwear as it can leave quite the mess - mess that is so worth the relief you feel after. It should take up to 7 - 14 days to clear up once starting treatment according to the NHS website.
As disgusted as you may initially feel, thrush is so, so normal. You can get thrush on parts of your body and the vagina is no exception.
Please speak with your GP if it is your first time getting thrush, if you are under the age of 16 or if your thrush keeps coming back. I am no expert, just a female, so please speak with a pharmacist or GP. There are cheaper treatment options that some pharmacies may provide so always feel free to ask.
Just know that I feel for my thrush girls. You’re not doing anything wrong. You are not “dirty”. It is just your body being a body. Take care of your vagina/vulva and it will take care of you. By this, I mean please do not use commercialised products such as vaginal deodorants, perfumes and all sorts. Just let your vagina smell like a vagina. It isn’t meant to smell like vanilla with a hint of roses and daisies.
If you think your vagina truly smells odd, see your GP, not the fragrance aisle!
Key terms:
Vagina - inner muscular tube/canal connecting the vulva and cervix (the inside)
Vulva - outer part of the genitalia, so what you can see (the outside)
Labia - the lips around the vaginal opening
