Vaginal health is an important part of women's overall health. Vaginal problems can affect fertility, desire for sex and ability to reach orgasm. Ongoing vaginal health issues can also cause stress or relationship problems and affect self-confidence. Know the signs and symptoms of vaginal problems and what you can do to protect your vaginal health.

Conditions that might affect the vagina include:

• Sexual problems. These might include persistent or recurrent pain just before, during or after sex (dyspareunia). Pain during penetration might be caused by involuntary spasms of the muscles of the vaginal wall (vaginismus). The muscles in the pelvic floor can become tense, causing chronic pain and pain during intercourse. Vaginal dryness, often occurring after menopause, also can cause pain during intercourse.
• Sexually transmitted infections. Various sexually transmitted infections can affect the vagina, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, genital warts, syphilis and genital herpes. Signs might include abnormal vaginal discharge or genital sores.
• Vaginitis. An infection or change in the normal balance of vaginal yeast and bacteria can cause inflammation of the vagina (vaginitis). Symptoms include vaginal discharge, odor, itching and pain. Common types of vaginitis include bacterial vaginosis, yeast infections and trichomoniasis.
• Pelvic floor relaxation. If the supporting ligaments and connective tissues that hold the uterus and the vaginal walls in place become weak, the uterus, bladder, rectum or the vaginal walls might slip down (prolapse). This might cause a bulge in the vagina or urine leakage during coughing and sneezing.
• Other rare conditions. Vaginal cysts can cause pain during sex or make it difficult to insert a tampon. Vaginal cancer — which might first appear as vaginal bleeding after menopause or sex — also is a rare possibility.

Consult your health care provider if you notice:

• A change in the color, odor or amount of vaginal discharge
• Vaginal redness or itching
• Vaginal bleeding between periods, after sex or after menopause
• A mass or bulge in the vagina
• Pain during intercourse

You might not need to see your health care provider every time you have vaginal irritation and discharge, particularly if you've been diagnosed with a vaginal yeast infection in the past and you're having similar signs and symptoms. However, if your symptoms don't go away after you use a medication that you get at your drugstore, consult your provider.

You can take steps to protect your vaginal health and overall health. For example:

• Be sexually responsible. Use condoms or maintain a mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who's free of sexually transmitted infections. If you use sex toys, clean them after every use.
• Get vaccinated. Vaccinations can protect you from HPV, the virus associated with cervical cancer, as well as hepatitis B — a serious liver infection that can spread through sexual contact.
• Do Kegel exercises. Kegel exercises can help tone your pelvic floor muscles if you have prolapse, leaking of urine or weakness of the pelvic floor.
• Know your medications. Discuss medication use and possible vaginal side effects with your health care provider.
• Limit the amount of alcohol you drink, and don't smoke. Chronic alcohol misuse can impair sexual function. Nicotine might affect sexual arousal. Substance misuse might also cause poor physical and mental health, which can affect sexual function.

While not all vaginal problems can be prevented, regular checkups can help ensure that problems affecting the vagina are diagnosed as soon as possible. Don't let embarrassment prevent you from talking to your health care provider about concerns you have about vaginal health.