Vaginitis Health Article

Candida vulvovaginitis

Candida vulvovaginitis also has been called vulvo-vaginal candidiasis, candidal vaginitis, monilial infection, or vaginal yeast infection. Twenty to 25% of the vaginitis cases are candida vulvovaginitis. It has been estimated that about 75% of all women get a vaginal yeast infection at least once. In 80–90% of the cases, candida vulvovaginitis is caused by an overgrowth of the yeast Candida albicans. The remaining cases are caused by other species of Candida. It is not known what causes the yeast overgrowth. However, it is known that antibiotics can inadvertently kill normal bacteria in the vagina and cause an overgrowth of Candida.

Candida vulvovaginitis is not considered a sexually transmitted disease because Candida species are commonly found in the healthy vagina. It is rare to find this disease in girls before puberty and in celibate women. Vaginal yeast infections tend to occur more frequently in women who are pregnant; diabetic and not controlling their disease; taking birth control pills, steroid drugs, or antibiotics; and those with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The occurrence of four or more attacks per year is called recurrent vaginal candidiasis.

Trichomoniasis

Trichomoniasis, which is sometimes called "trich," accounts for 15–20% of the cases of vaginitis. It is estimated that two million to three million American women get trichomoniasis each year. Unlike the previous two types of vaginitis, trichomoniasis is primarily a sexually transmitted disease in that the disease is passed from person-to-person primarily by sexual contact. Trichomoniasis occurs in both men and women and is caused by an infection with the single-celled parasite Trichomonas vaginalis. Infection with Trichomonas vaginalis is frequently associated with other sexually transmitted diseases and helps spread the AIDS virus.