Reviewed By:
Ravi P. Chokshi, MD (Obstetrics and Gynecology (OBGYN), Critical Care)
Current Maternal Fetal Medicine Fellow with Dual board certification in Obstetrics & Gynecology and Critical Care Medicine. | 5+ years experience managing a general Ob/Gyn practice and working in the Intensive Care Unit. | Previously Physician Lead of a large single specialty practice with 8 Physicians and 10+ Advanced practitioners. | Member of the Society of Maternal Fetal Medicine Patient education committee. | Frequent Medscape Consult contributor.
Seiji Kanazawa, MD, PHD (Obstetrics and Gynecology (OBGYN))
Dr. Kanazawa graduated from the Niigata University Faculty of Medicine and received his Ph.D. from the Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine. He is working on the front line of the General Perinatal Center, including the Tokyo Tama General Medical Center and the National Center for Research in Fertility Medicine, where he provides maternal and fetal care and undertakes clinical research. At Ubie, Dr. Kanazawa has been designing the Ubie AI Symptom Checker and has taken on the role of general obstetrics and gynecology consultation at FMC Tokyo Clinic by providing fetal ultrasound and prenatal consultation.
Content updated on Feb 6, 2025
Following the Medical Content Editorial Policy
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Try one of these related symptoms.
Pain around the vulva or vagina
Pain in the genital area
Vaginal pain
Pain during intercourse
Abnormal vaginal discharge
Burning vagina
Itching vagina
Vaginal soreness
Stinging vaginal pain
With a free 3-min Vaginal Pain quiz, powered by Ubie's AI and doctors, find possible causes of your symptoms.
This questionnaire is customized to your situation and symptoms, including the following personal information:
Biological Sex - helps us provide relevant suggestions for male vs. female conditions.
Age - adjusts our guidance based on any age-related health factors.
History - considers past illnesses, surgeries, family history, and lifestyle choices.
Your symptoms
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Your report
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✔ When to see a doctor
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The vagina is part of the female genitalia. It is below the urethra (opening where urine comes from). The vagina is the genital opening that allows for menstrual flow and sexual intercourse, and childbirth. The skin folds outside the vagina are called the labia minor and majora and are part of the vulva. Vaginal pain describes pain or discomfort felt in the vagina or the outer part of female genitalia around the vaginal opening.
Seek professional care if you experience any of the following symptoms
Generally, Vaginal pain can be related to:
This is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV). It causes small, painful blisters on the private parts.
Bartholin's glands are small organs in the labia (vaginal lips) that secrete fluid to lubricate the vaginal opening. Occasionally these glands may get blocked, and swell and develop into a cyst. These cysts can sometimes become infected when bacteria invade and overgrow, causing symptoms of pain and swelling, resulting in an abscess. They are rarely caused by sexually transmitted infections (STI's).
Bartholin's glands are located at the vaginal opening and normally help with lubrication. Bartholin's gland cysts form when they are clogged and become swollen with mucus. Their typical location is at the lower inner part of the labia (vaginal lips).
Sometimes, Vaginal pain may be related to these serious diseases:
Genital trauma meaning injury to the genitals, can occur for a variety of reasons. Most often caused by sports injuries, accidents such as on a bicycle, or vigorous intercourse. Tears or injuries can also occur with childbirth. Sexual assault should also be considered.
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom:
We would love to help them too.
Q.
What Could Be the Cause of Sharp Pain in the Private Area?
A.
Sharp pain in the private area can be caused by a variety of conditions, including nerve-related issues, infections, and other medical problems. Understanding the potential causes is essential for proper diagnosis and treatment.
References:
Leslie SW, Antolak S, Feloney MP, et al. Pudendal Neuralgia. [Updated 2024 Feb 12]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK562246/
Bachmann GA, Rosen R, Arnold LD, Burd I, Rhoads GG, Leiblum SR, Avis N. Chronic vulvar and other gynecologic pain: prevalence and characteristics in a self-reported survey. J Reprod Med. 2006 Jan;51(1):3-9. PMID: 16482769; PMCID: PMC1388073.
Bachmann GA, Rosen R, Arnold LD, Burd I, Rhoads GG, Leiblum SR, Avis N. Chronic vulvar and other gynecologic pain: prevalence and characteristics in a self-reported survey. J Reprod Med. 2006 Jan;51(1):3-9. PMID: 16482769; PMCID: PMC1388073.
Tayyeb M, Gupta V. Dyspareunia. [Updated 2023 Jun 5]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK562159/ACOG Practice Bulletin - Female Sexual Dysfunction
https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/practice-bulletin/articles/2019/07/female-sexual-dysfunctionVaginitis in Nonpregnant Patients: ACOG Practice Bulletin, Number 215. Obstet Gynecol. 2020 Jan;135(1):e1-e17. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000003604. PMID: 31856123.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31856123/Reviewed By:
Ravi P. Chokshi, MD (Obstetrics and Gynecology (OBGYN), Critical Care)
Current Maternal Fetal Medicine Fellow with Dual board certification in Obstetrics & Gynecology and Critical Care Medicine. | 5+ years experience managing a general Ob/Gyn practice and working in the Intensive Care Unit. | Previously Physician Lead of a large single specialty practice with 8 Physicians and 10+ Advanced practitioners. | Member of the Society of Maternal Fetal Medicine Patient education committee. | Frequent Medscape Consult contributor.
Seiji Kanazawa, MD, PHD (Obstetrics and Gynecology (OBGYN))
Dr. Kanazawa graduated from the Niigata University Faculty of Medicine and received his Ph.D. from the Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine. He is working on the front line of the General Perinatal Center, including the Tokyo Tama General Medical Center and the National Center for Research in Fertility Medicine, where he provides maternal and fetal care and undertakes clinical research. At Ubie, Dr. Kanazawa has been designing the Ubie AI Symptom Checker and has taken on the role of general obstetrics and gynecology consultation at FMC Tokyo Clinic by providing fetal ultrasound and prenatal consultation.
Our symptom checker AI is continuously refined with input from experienced physicians, empowering them to make more accurate diagnoses.
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Ubie’s symptom checker demonstrated a Top-10 hit accuracy of 71.6%, surpassing the performance of several leading symptom checkers in the market, which averaged around 60% accuracy in similar assessments.
Link to full study:
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.29.24312810v1