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Hi Aunt Vadge,
I have a cut on my labia that looks a bit like a popped blister or sore. It sometimes stings when I walk, and stings a whole lot when I go to the toilet, and it looks almost whitish. I wanted to know if this sounds out of the ordinary or like it needs checking out – it’s never happened before.
It appeared last week. I don’t know how I got it, but it seems to be closing up and no longer stings when I wee or walk, so I think it’s healing on its own. Any advice on how to keep it that way?
Yours,
Stinging
Northern Ireland
Hi there Stinging,
The good part first: a sore that’s already closing up and no longer stings when you wee or walk is healing nicely, which is reassuring.
A single whitish sore or popped-blister-looking spot on the labia that stings – especially on weeing, as urine runs over it – can come from a few ordinary things: a friction graze or knock, an ingrown hair or blocked gland that’s burst, or a small aphthous-type ulcer (the genital cousin of a mouth ulcer, which can pop up when you’re run down).
All of those heal on their own, exactly as yours is doing.
To keep it healing well, just be gentle: plain warm water only (no soaps or wipes), pat dry, loose cotton underwear, don’t pick at it, and pour a little warm water over yourself as you wee if it stings at all.
The one thing I’d keep in mind, not to alarm you since it’s healing, is the pattern: if you ever get clustered little blisters or ulcers, or it keeps recurring in the same spot, that’s worth a quick visit to a sexual-health clinic to check for things like herpes – which is common, manageable, and easiest to confirm while a sore is actually present.
But a one-off sore that’s healing on its own is most likely just a minor blip, so finish letting it heal and only keep an eye out if it comes back.
Yours,
Aunt Vadge
This is general information, not a substitute for personalised medical advice.
