I think I have a yeast infection, however the thought of telling my mom, or seeing a doctor makes me very uncomfortable. I do want the problem solved though. What should I do?

female gender symbolThank you for your question. At first it may feel awkward to talk to you mom or doctor about your symptoms; however, it’s important to know that taking care of your vaginal health is just as important as taking care of any other part of your body and early treatment is important. It might help to know that vaginal yeast infections are very common and are not the same as an STI (sexually transmitted infection). In fact, just about every woman will have at least one yeast infection in her lifetime, some women have more. It’s likely that your mom has had one too, so she should be able to understand. You could start a conversation by saying that you’ve noticed a change in your vaginal discharge and have other symptoms that are uncomfortable and you wonder if it could be a yeast infection. You may consider asking your mom if she has ever had a yeast infection and what it feels like. Taking that first step, may open the door for future conversations about your health too. Ask to see your health care provider so you can get checked out and treated. Your provider will be able to figure out if you have a yeast infection or if something else is causing your symptoms. Getting checked and treated is very important as symptoms can get worse.

Read more about yeast infections: https://youngwomenshealth.org/2013/06/19/yeast-infection/​​