Vaginal Problems: Preparing For Your Appointment

Content provided by Healthwise

Preparing For Your Appointment

To prepare for your appointment, see the topic Making the Most of Your Appointment.

You can help your doctor diagnose and treat your condition by being prepared to answer the following questions:

• What are your main symptoms?
• How long have you had your symptoms?
• Have you had this problem in the past? If so, do you know what caused the problem at that time? How was it treated?
• What does your vaginal discharge look and smell like?
• What was the date of your last menstrual period? If you have been through menopause, how long ago was your last menstrual period?
• Are you currently using any type of birth control method?
• What medicines (especially antibiotics) are you taking or have you taken recently, if any?
• Do you have any symptoms of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)?
• What home treatment measures have you tried? Did they help?
• What nonprescription medicines have you tried? Did they help?
• Do you have a new sex partner? Do you have more than one sex partner? Does your partner have any symptoms? Have you had sex without using a condom? Do you think you have recently been exposed to a sexually transmitted disease (STD)?
• Have you been diagnosed and treated for a sexually transmitted disease (STD) in the past? If so what was your diagnosis, and what treatment was done?
• Do you have symptoms of a urinary tract infection, such as pain or burning on urination and a frequent urge to urinate?
• Do you have any health risks?

Last updated:	November 03, 2007
Author:	Jan Nissl, RN, BS
Reviewed By:	Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine, Deborah A. Penava, BA, MD, FRCSC, MPH - Obstetrics and Gynecology
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer