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Vaginal Health Symptom Checker

Select your symptoms to identify potential causes and get guidance on next steps.

Important: This tool is for educational purposes only and does not provide medical diagnoses. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personal health concerns.

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Understanding common vaginal and pelvic symptoms

Vaginal and pelvic symptoms overlap a great deal, which is why a symptom list can point you toward questions to ask but cannot tell you what is actually going on. Many conditions are confirmed only with a simple exam, a swab, a urine test or a pregnancy test. Use the checker to organize what you are noticing, then share that list with a clinician.

Discharge, itching and odor

Some vaginal discharge is normal and changes over the menstrual cycle. Changes in color, consistency or smell can signal an infection. Bacterial vaginosis typically causes thin gray or white discharge with a fishy odor that may be stronger after sex. Vaginal yeast infections more often cause itching, burning and thick white discharge with little odor. Trichomoniasis, a sexually transmitted infection, can cause frothy yellow-green discharge and irritation.

These conditions are treated differently, and the CDC notes that self-diagnosis is often wrong. Using an over-the-counter yeast treatment for what is actually BV or an STI delays the right treatment. If this is your first episode, symptoms keep returning, or over-the-counter treatment has not worked, get tested.

Urinary symptoms

Burning with urination, needing to go often and urgently, and lower abdominal discomfort are classic signs of a bladder infection. Fever, chills, back or side pain, nausea or vomiting alongside these symptoms can mean the infection has reached the kidneys, which needs prompt medical care.

Bleeding and cycle changes

A missed period can mean pregnancy, so a home pregnancy test is a sensible first step if pregnancy is possible. Stress, weight change, intense exercise, thyroid problems and polycystic ovary syndrome can also disrupt cycles. Bleeding between periods, bleeding after sex, or any bleeding after menopause should be checked by a clinician. ACOG describes heavy menstrual bleeding as bleeding that soaks through one or more pads or tampons every hour for several hours, lasts longer than seven days, or includes large clots.

Pelvic pain

Cramping around a period is common. Pain that is severe, keeps getting worse, or interferes with daily life is worth evaluating, because endometriosis, fibroids, ovarian cysts and pelvic inflammatory disease can all cause pelvic pain.

Seek urgent care

Sudden, severe pelvic or abdominal pain, especially with a positive pregnancy test, which can signal an ectopic pregnancy.
Heavy bleeding with dizziness, fainting or a racing heart.
Fever with pelvic pain or unusual discharge.
Any symptoms during pregnancy that worry you.

Preparing for an appointment

Before you see a clinician, note when the symptoms started, whether they come and go, what makes them better or worse, any new sexual partners, any products you have recently started using such as soaps, lubricants or new underwear, and any treatments you have already tried. Avoid douching or using vaginal products for a day or two before a visit, because they can affect test results. The CDC advises against douching in general, as it can upset the normal balance of vaginal bacteria.

Sources: CDC: Bacterial vaginosis; Mayo Clinic: Vaginitis; ACOG: Heavy menstrual bleeding; MedlinePlus: Urinary tract infections.