Vaginal Polyps: What You Should Know?

Many women may experience vaginal polyps at some point in her life. These usually small growths of skin are generally harmless, and cause no noticeable symptoms.

In most cases, the polyps will go completely unnoticed and will not affect a woman’s overall health or her ability to enjoy sex. While the majority of women never experience any problems, a small percentage do. In these cases, it might be necessary to treat or remove the vaginal polyps.

Symptoms of Vaginal Polyps

Vaginal polyps are normally small growths of skin inside a woman’s vagina. While most women will never display any symptoms associated with polyps, some may start to notice a white or yellowish vaginal discharge ^[1].

While researchers are not sure why these skin tags can begin to form, other symptoms can include period vaginal bleeding between menstrual cycles and after sexual intercourse. Slight bleeding or spotting can also occur after douching.

Though it is not common, vaginal polyps can also become infected and cause severe pain or discomfort. A health care professional should be consulted if any pain is ever experienced in the vaginal or surrounding areas. It could be a sign of a more serious health problem.

How Vaginal Polyps Are Diagnosed?

Vaginal polyps are most commonly discovered during a woman’s routine health exam. On occasion, a health professional may use an Ultrasound machine to take images of the polyps, but in most cases they can either been seen or felt during the exam.

Polyps are essentially skin tags, and by simply inserting one or two fingers inside the vaginal opening they can usually be felt. Like any other abnormal growth on the human body, occasionally a small part of a polyp will be removed for further testing. This is usually only done when cervical or other cancers are suspected.

Treatments For Vaginal Polyps

Treatments For Vaginal Polyps

There are several different ways in which women can treat vaginal polyps. In most cases, the polyps are benign and do not cause any adverse side effects, making further treatment unnecessary.

When treatment is advisable, it can usually be performed quickly and easily.

There are two common methods that a health care provider might use to safely remove vaginal polyps.

(1) In some cases, it might be necessary to have the vaginal skin tags safely cut off. This procedure can be done in a relatively brief period of time, without any serious side effects.

A health care provider will spread the vaginal tissue to expose the polyps. A small, sharp instrument is them used to safely cut the abnormal tissue growth away. A mild numbing agent can also be applied to help minimize any discomfort.

Afterwards, a mild ache or pain may be felt in the vagina and surrounding area but will normally disappear after a few days.

(2) Another common removal method for vaginal polyps includes chemically freezing the skin growths. Lasers can also be used for removal.While both of these methods are safe and effective, they should not be used if you suspect that the growths might be cancerous.

It is best to have a biopsy performed before permanently destroying the polyps.

Can Vaginal Polyps Be Prevented?

Since it is not really known what causes verginal polyps, there is no recommend way to prevent them. Instead, most health care experts advise that women receive annual health exams.

This can help to catch a developing polyp before any symptoms begin to develop. In general, it is recommended that all women receive annual exams, including cervical and pap smears.

Not only can this help to detect vaginal polyps, but it can also help in the early detection of some cancers, as shown in the study ^[2].

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Vaginal Polyps in Women

Vaginal polyps can appear in any woman, and in most cases they are harmless and do not cause any pain. While the majority of women never know that they have these vaginal skin tags, there are a few who might experience vaginal discharge, bleeding, or even pain.

If any of those symptoms of vaginal polyps begin to develop, it is important to speak with a health care professional immediately.

Vaginal polyps will normally fall of during sexual intercourse or menstruation, but in some cases they will need to be surgically removed. The procedures are quick and pain free, but more importantly that can help to save a woman’s life.

2 Sources

We review published medical research in respected scientific journals to arrive at our conclusions about a product or health topic. This ensures the highest standard of scientific accuracy.

[1] Cervical Polyps: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK562185/
[2] What Are the Symptoms of Cervical Cancer: https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/cervical/basic_info/symptoms.htm

Dr. Markie Twist

Dr. Markie Twist is a licensed marriage and family therapist and mental health counselor, clinical fellow and approved supervisor and c Read Full Bio