Why choose Planned Parenthood?
For more than 80 years, Planned Parenthood has been here
for you. Our health centers in South Texas provide:
• Accessible & affordable quality care
• A condential & nonjudgmental environment
• Easy-to-use online appointment scheduling
• Personalized care tailored to your needs
• Discounts based on family size & income
• Same day appointments
• Walk-in visits
• Convenient locations with extended hours
• An on-site pharmacy to save you time & money
• A secure Patient Portal to check your lab results & pay your bill
Planned Parenthood provides a full range of services and
patient education, including:
• Birth control options
• Emergency contraception
• Well-woman exams
• Pelvic exams
• Clinical breast exams
• “Stop Cervical Cancer” care: HPV screening, Pap screening &
follow-up
• Menopause care
• Referral for mammograms
• Pregnancy testing
• Gestational dating sonogram
• Pregnancy options
• Referral for adoption
• Referral for prenatal care
• Abortion care (License #130241, #140015, #140016)
• Male exams
• STD testing & treatment
• HIV testing
• PrEP: HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis
• Transgender hormone therapy
• Testing & treatment for UTIs
• Fertility evaluation & treatment
Our Services Continue To Grow. Call Us Today!
800-230-PLAN (7526)
Planned Parenthood accepts cash/checks, insurance, Medicaid,
Visa, Mastercard and Discover at all locations.
©Planned Parenthood South Texas / Rev. 2/20
To nd a health center nearest you call 800-230-PLAN (7526)
www.ppsouthtexas.org
@ppsouthtexas
• You do not need to do anything to clean inside
your vagina. The vagina cleans itself. Feminine
hygiene sprays, deodorants and douching are
not necessary. In fact, scented and antibacterial
products can be harmful to the vagina (even
“sensitive skin” products or baby soaps).
• Mild unscented soap or just plain water is all you
need to keep the outer folds of your vulva clean.
• Avoid bubble baths and bath oils. Taking
showers rather than tub baths may help you
avoid getting vaginitis.
• Cotton underwear and loose clothing are helpful
because they allow air to reach the vaginal area.
• Change out of sweaty gym clothes and wet
swimsuits after the activity is over.
• It is ne to use tampons and panty liners but be
sure that they are unscented and change them at
least every three to four hours to prevent odor and
possible vaginal infection.
• When you use the bathroom be sure to wipe from
front to back to prevent bacteria from getting into
the vagina.
• Before and after having sex, practice good hygiene
such as hand washing, washing your genital area,
brushing your teeth and rinsing your mouth.
• Use a new latex barrier/condom every time you
have sex and when moving between oral, anal and
vaginal areas.
KEEPING YOUR
VAGINA HEALTHY
Discharge: What is Normal?
Urinary Tract Infections
Types of Vaginitis
Feminine Hygiene Tips
FEMININE HYGIENE TIPS:
If you have a change in your normal discharge, you may have
an infection.
Changes include:
• discharge that is not clear or white.
• a foul or bad odor.
• pain, swelling, itching or irritation.
• an unusually large amount of discharge that is irritating.
If you have any of these symptoms, call
Planned Parenthood to make an appointment.
The vagina is naturally moist. The vagina stays healthy and
cleans itself by producing discharge. The amount of discharge
is different from woman to woman and depends on where you
are in your menstrual cycle.
Normal discharge:
• is thick and whitish like mucus, or slippery and clear.
• is yellow when dry on panties.
• has a mild natural smell.
Knowing your body and what is normal for you will help you
notice changes right away.
Bacterial vaginal (BV) infections are the most common type
of vaginitis. BV happens when normal vaginal bacteria is
out of balance. BV is not a sexual transmitted disease (STD).
However, sexual activities may “throw off” your level of
vaginal bacteria.
BV discharge usually:
• has a strange, “shy” vaginal odor.
• is thin, white, gray.
• may be mildly irritating.
Your Planned Parenthood clinician will prescribe medicine for
the treatment of BV, either pills or a vaginal cream. Over-the-
counter medicines for yeast infections do not cure BV.
URINARY TRACT INFECTION
(UTI)/BLADDER INFECTION
Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) is an infection
of the parts of the body that carry and store
urine (pee). UTIs are common in both women
and men.
Symptoms may include:
• urgent and frequent urination, usually in
small amounts.
• pain or burning during urination.
• pressure or cramps in the lower
abdomen during urination.
• bad-smelling and/or cloudy urine.
• painful vaginal intercourse.
• pain in the mid-back (to the right or left of
the spine).
If you have any of these symptoms, call
Planned Parenthood to make an appointment.
CANDIDIASIS
(“YEAST INFECTION”)
Yeast is a fungus that naturally lives in the
vagina. When too much yeast grows it
becomes a yeast infection. Itching can range
from mild to severe with yeast infections.
Some women notice swelling of the vulva
(vaginal lips) or burning when they urinate.
Discharge with a yeast infection:
• is usually thick, like cottage cheese.
• is white or light yellow.
• does not typically have an unusual odor.
Yeast infections can be treated with pills
or vaginal creams. Some treatments for
yeast infections are available without a
prescription. If you are not sure you have a
yeast infection or if you still have symptoms
after treating yourself, call Planned
Parenthood for an appointment. Do not use
any vaginal creams for at least 24 to 48 hours
before your appointment so that you can be
properly examined.
TRICHOMONIASIS (“TRICH”)
Trichomoniasis (Trich) is an infection different
from BV and yeast because it is spread through
sex. Women and men can get trich. Men often
do not show symptoms.
Women may notice:
• a yellowish green vaginal discharge that
has a foul or bad odor.
• vaginal itching or pain.
• pain during sex.
• bleeding between periods.
Men and woman may have pain when
urinating (peeing). Your Planned Parenthood
clinician will prescribe medicine for the
treatment of trich. It is very important that
anyone you’ve had sex with recently also gets
treated—even if they do not have symptoms.
If a partner does not get treated, and you have
sex with that person again, you can get the
trich infection again. Do not have sex during
treatment and for at least two weeks after
treatment to make sure that you do not get
re-infected.
VAGINITIS
Vaginitis is a general term for irritation of the
vagina. Vaginitis is very common. The vagina
has normal bacteria that keep things in a
healthy balance. Anything that changes the
balance of normal bacteria in the vagina can
lead to vaginitis. The three most common types
of vaginitis are bacterial vaginosis, candidiasis
or yeast infections and trichomoniasis. By
looking at your discharge under a microscope,
your Planned Parenthood clinician can tell you
if you have any of these infections on the day of
your visit.
Some possible causes of vaginitis:
• antibiotics or other medicines
• using scented or antibacterial soap
• douching/vaginal sprays or wipes
• wearing thong underwear
• sex without a latex barrier/condom
• using avored lubricants/oils
• oral, anal or vaginal sex
• having sex with a partner who does not
practice good hygiene
• using sex toys without proper cleaning
• stress
NORMAL VAGINAL DISCHARGE BACTERIAL VAGINOSIS (“BV”)DISCHARGE THAT IS NOT NORMAL
