Confusing symptoms

If you're confused by genital symptoms, you're not alone. As this comparison shows, very similar signs can indicate quite different problems – and this list is nowhere near complete.

Genital symptom	Possible cause

Pain when urinating	Genital herpes, balanitis, gonorrhea, thrush, NSU

Redness or a rash	Genital herpes, chlamydia, gonorrhea, pubic lice, scabies, syphilis, thrush

Blisters or ulcers	Genital herpes, chancroid, CMV, Crohn’s disease, syphilis

Itchiness	Genital herpes, genital warts, pubic lice, scabies, thrush

Vaginal discharge	Genital herpes, bacterial vaginosis, chlamydia, genital warts, gonorrhea, thrush, trichomoniasis

As you can see the symptoms make self diagnosis difficult. It’s much better to consult a doctor – and preferably one with plenty of experience in identifying these conditions. If you don't already know one, it’s worth checking the list of sexual health clinics.