Sore inside labia

[katz214]

I am a 29 yr old female. I've been in a monogamous relationship with my boyfriend for 9 yrs. I am on birth control so we have unprotected sex. Within the last week I've noticed soreness when I urinate and wipe, and sitting. I thought it would go away so kind of ignored it (the best I could). It's gotten more irritated and sore so I took a look with a mirror to see what is going on. I found a small red abrasion, about pea sized on the left labia, inside near the vaginal opening. It is red and irritated. For relief I've been using Neosporin. It seems to be helping a bit. Could this be a result of friction during sex, or should I be more concerned. Like I mentioned, I have had the same partner for 9 yrs, and I have reason to believe my boyfriend would not cheat on me. If its just a "rug burn" type sore how long till it heals and any suggestions on getting it to heal quicker?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
From the symptoms it can be due to chafing skin. Wash the areas several times with fresh water. Do not use any cosmetic products at the sites. You can apply some calamine lotion at the rash as it will help in soothing the skin. Also wear cotton undergarments. Application of mild corticosteroid cream and oral antiinflammatories like ibuprofen/acetaminophen are also helpful. If the symptoms are severe then it will be best to consult a dermatologist
I hope it helps. Take care and regards.

[BeeFree]

Yes this is likely to be a rash caused by friction or dryness.
The best thing to do is refrain from sex until it is fully healed. You can speed up healing by using a very gentle lubricant like Vaseline or a topical steroid cream which will help heal the damaged tissues. It won't take long. That part of the body heals very quickly.