The vulva, or external genital region of a woman's reproductive system, is where vulvar cancer develops. It can affect the labia, the mons pubis (the skin and tissue that covers the pubic bone), the clitoris, or the vaginal or urethral openings, among other parts of the vulva. In most situations, it affects the labia majora or minor's inner margins.
Squamous cell carcinomas account for the great majority of vulvar malignancies. Squamous cells, the most common form of skin cell, are where this cancer begins. Squamous cell carcinoma generally develops over a long period. Abnormal cells generally occur in the epithelium, the skin's surface layer, before it develops. Vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia is the medical term for this disease (VIN) Vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia.
Melanoma is another frequent kind of vulvar cancer. It most commonly affects the labia minora or clitoris. Bartholin's gland adenocarcinoma and non-mammary Paget's disease are uncommon types of vulvar cancer. Sarcomas make up a small percentage of vulvar malignancies. These tumours start in the connective tissue beneath the skin and spread from there.
Vulvar cancer is rare cancer in women, accounting for just a small fraction of all malignancies. The majority of women diagnosed with vulvar cancer are over the age of 50, with two-thirds being over the age of 70.
Younger women have recently been diagnosed with VIN Vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia. A woman may never acquire true vulvar cancer if this precancerous disease is detected and treated early.
Vaginal inflammation is referred to as vaginitis. Infection is the most prevalent cause in premenopausal women. Low estrogen levels after menopause can result in vaginal atrophy (atrophic vaginitis). An allergic reaction to an irritating substance, such as a spermicide, douche, or bath soap, can also cause vaginitis.
One of three diseases causes almost all infectious vaginitis:
Bacterial vaginosis is the most common cause of an abnormal vaginal discharge or an unpleasant vaginal odour, and it is caused by a shift in the kind of bacteria that typically dwell in the vagina. Other bacteria, such as Prevotella, Mobiluncus, G. vaginalis, and Mycoplasma hominis, replace typical Lactobacillus bacteria in bacterial vaginosis. The rationale for this modification is unknown. Bacterial vaginosis can raise the risk of preterm birth in pregnant women.
Candida albicans, often known as vaginal yeast infections, is the most common cause of vaginal infections. 75 per cent of all women will have at least one Candida vaginal infection in their lives, and up to 45 per cent will have two or more. If a woman's body is stressed from a bad diet, lack of sleep, or sickness, or if she is pregnant, using antibiotics or birth control pills, or douching too frequently, she is more likely to get vaginal yeast infections. Recurrent yeast infections are more common in women who have diabetes or the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
Trichomonas vaginitis, commonly known as trichomoniasis, is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by Trichomonas vaginalis, a tiny one-celled organism. In women, Trichomonas causes inflammation of the vaginal canal, cervix, and urethra. Trichomonas infections can potentially raise the risk of early rupture of the membranes and preterm birth in pregnant women.