Aunt Vadge: can a doctor see scars in my vagina?

Hello Aunt Vadge,

I would like to know if a doctor would be able to identify the cause of a vaginal tear (inside) that I have?

Also, do vaginal tears/cuts leave a trace after healing or does it look like nothing ever happened? (I’m talking about like internally = vaginal canal/walls.)

In other words, could another doctor detect an old tear that I had and know how long it has been there? Hope you take the time to answer me in detail. I really need to know.

Thank youuu❣️

Sincerely,
R
Country: Paris France

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Dear R,

When you get examined by a doctor for current vaginal or vulvar tears or fissures, the doctor will ask you for certain information (i.e. what happened to cause the tear). If you don’t tell them what happened, or are untruthful, your doctor will use their clinical experience to guide them.

If something looks like it was caused a certain way (for example damage from sex, sexual assault, masturbating accident, self-harm), then they would make a note along the lines of ‘the wound is consistent with X, Y or Z’.

They’ve seen it all before, so can use their judgement to help you. Whether a doctor can see evidence of scarring depends very heavily on how bad the previous tear was.

Deep tears will leave more scar tissue than superficial tears. Many vulvar and vaginal tears don’t leave any scarring. The vaginal walls are a special sort of tissue, sort of like waves of carpet – rugae. This type of tissue is very elastic and looks a bit like an accordion.

These rugae can make it a little more difficult to see scar tissue since it can be hidden from the view of a doctor. You don’t mention how deep the tear was, or how long ago it happened. Both these things will determine how easily a doctor can see any scar tissue.

Vaginas and vulvas heal very quickly and usually without scarring. Scars also blend in over time and can disappear, so the fresher the scar, the more visible it tends to be.

Best,
Aunt Vadge