Understanding Vaginitis: Causes & Symptoms

Last reviewed: May 6, 2025

Your problem may have another source, and it is worth looking into with your health care practitioner.

Alternative causes of vaginitis or vaginosis:

Bacterial vaginosis, caused by Gardnerella vaginalis – fishy odour, thin, watery, grey, foul-smelling discharge
Yeast infection, caused by Candida albicans – thick, white discharge that can resemble cottage cheese, doesn’t smell bad, can get worse for yeasty food and drink, like beer and bread
Trichomoniasis, caused by Trichomonas vaginalis – fishy or foul-smelling discharge, sometimes green frothy discharge
Pelvic inflammatory disease – pelvic pain, aches, inflammation
Latex, condom or semen allergy – pain, sensitivity, itching, swelling, inflammation
Genital warts from human papillomavirus (HPV) – warts, inflammation
Herpes simplex virus (HSV) – sores, pain, weeping, itching, welts
Urinary tract infection (UTI) – painful urination, burning, needing to urinate all the time but nothing comes out
Contact dermatitis from perfumes, laundry detergents, etc. – inflammation, redness, swelling, itching, burning, discharge
C hlamydia – frequent urination, burning, itching, ‘bladder issues’, discharge
Gonorrhoea – smelly discharge, urethral symptoms
Cytolytic vaginosis – thick white discharge, itch, rawness, looks like a yeast infection but doesn’t respond to antifungals
Aerobic vaginitis – odour, itch, pain, discharge
Lichenoid conditions – contact dermatitis, lichen planus, lichen sclerosus