Have you ever felt a bump down in your vaginal area, on the labia or at that junction by the inner thigh? It can be quite nerve-wracking at first as all the sexually transmitted infections cross through your mind. While you’re trying to rationalize your thoughts, remember that not all bumps are bad. In fact, some are quite normal and are just a part of being a woman. Any bump should be checked out by your health care provider, however here is a list of the most common you may come across:
1. Herpes - get yourself tested as soon as possible.
2. HPV – warts can show up as an individual bump or multiple bumps that are usually flesh colored. Get yourself tested right away.
3. Ingrown hair – recently shave or get waxed? You might find a hair within that bump.
4. Skene or Bartholin gland – when it becomes blocked a cyst forms which can be quite large and uncomfortable when sitting.
5. Hidradentitis suppurativa – this is a condition of blocked sweat glands. It can appear in the armpits as well.
6. Molluscum contagiosum – small, fleshy bumps that are caused by a viral infection.
7. Sebaceous cyst – from blocked sebaceous glands/hair follicles.
8. Boils – infection of the hair follicle.
9. Skin tag – typically forms in skin creases such as at the groin where the thigh meets the genitals.
10. Mole – while not common, people with moles on other places on their skin can have them in their genital region as well.
This is not an extensive list of everything that can happen in the vaginal area however if you experience a lump or bump, it could be one of these 10 things. Make sure you get yourself tested, especially if you didn’t recently shave.