Diagnosis

Diagnosing vaginal yeast infections can be tricky, especially at first. Several other disorders, including inflammation of the cervix or sexually transmitted diseases such as trichomoniasis (a parasitic infection) or herpes, can have similar symptoms.

Clinical diagnosis of yeast infections starts with a slide of vaginal secretions examined under the microscope. It's important to note, however, that it's possible to have a yeast infection that doesn't show up in the limited examination of a single slide smear. If a woman has a negative slide smear but still has significant symptoms, her physician is likely to order a culture.

While studies have shown that women are able to correctly identify recurring vaginal yeast infections most of the time, there is still some concern about misdiagnosing and mistreating other problems that may mimic symptoms of yeast infections. Through package and product labeling of products sold without prescription, FDA and pharmaceutical companies are working to make sure that women with an infection that differs even slightly from the symptoms of a previous yeast infection return to their doctors.