Vaginal itching (pangangati ng ari): safe home remedies and when to see a doctor

Pangangati ng ari ng babae (vaginal itching) is very common. The itch can be inside the vagina or on the skin around it, the vulva: the lips and the opening. Many women call this area the "pepe" or "pwerta".

Often the cause is easy to treat, such as a yeast infection or irritation from soap, sweat or tight clothes. Sometimes it is an STI or a skin problem that needs a doctor.

Some discharge is normal. Normal discharge is clear or white, sticky or slippery, with no strong smell, and may increase mid-cycle or in pregnancy. Get checked when it changes in color, smell or texture, or comes with pain, sores, bleeding or fever.

Yeast infection (thrush or candidiasis). One of the most common causes. It brings strong itching, soreness, and a thick, white discharge like cottage cheese that does not usually smell. Peeing or sex may sting. Candida, a yeast that normally lives in the body, grows too much. It is more likely when you take antibiotics, are pregnant, take birth control pills, or have poorly controlled diabetes. It is not counted as a sexually transmitted infection (STI).

Bacterial vaginosis (BV). An imbalance of the vagina's normal bacteria. The main sign is a thin, grey-white discharge with a fishy smell, often stronger after sex. BV does not usually itch or feel sore, and about half of women with it notice no symptoms. Douching makes BV more likely.

Trichomoniasis and other STIs. Trichomoniasis ("trich") can cause a yellow-green discharge that may be frothy or smell fishy, itching, soreness, and pain when peeing or during sex. Genital herpes causes tingling or itching, then small blisters that break into painful sores. Gonorrhea and chlamydia more often cause discharge, bleeding or pelvic pain: see our tulo (gonorrhea) guide. Many STIs cause no symptoms.

Irritation. Vulva skin is thin and sensitive. Triggers include scented soap, feminine wash, wipes and sprays; douching; strong laundry soap; spermicides; and sweat, damp underwear and tight jeans in hot weather.

Other causes:

• pubic lice (crabs) or threadworms, which often itch most at night
• low estrogen around and after menopause, causing dryness and itching
• lichen sclerosus, a skin condition with itchy white patches, much more common after age 50 but possible at any age, even in girls
• a forgotten tampon, which causes a bad smell
• rarely, cancer of the vulva: itching that does not get better, a lump, a sore, or color changes

Discharge gives clues, but it cannot tell the cause for sure: symptoms overlap, and only a check, sometimes with a swab, can tell.

• thick and white, like cottage cheese, with strong itching: often yeast
• thin, grey-white, fishy smell: often BV
• green, yellow or frothy: possibly trichomoniasis
• with pelvic pain or bleeding: possibly chlamydia or gonorrhea
• with blisters or sores: possibly genital herpes

If the main problem is burning and peeing often, it may be a urinary tract infection (UTI).

Be gentle and keep the area cool and dry. This eases irritation but does not cure an infection.

• Wash only the outside with plain water or a mild, unscented soap. The vagina cleans itself.
• Don't wash inside the vagina (douching), not even with water or feminine wash. It removes the good bacteria that protect you.
• Pat dry gently, and wipe from front to back after using the toilet.
• Wear cotton underwear and loose clothes. Change out of sweaty clothes, wet swimsuits and damp underwear quickly.
• Use unscented pads, not tampons, while you have an infection.
• Try not to scratch, and avoid sex until you are better if it hurts.
• If you have diabetes, keep your blood sugar under control.

If the itch is no better after a week, or you are not sure what it is, see a health worker.

Antifungal creams and vaginal tablets, such as clotrimazole, are for yeast infections. They do not treat BV or most STIs, and they will not fix irritation from a product. Some are sold at pharmacies, while some forms need a prescription. Treating yourself is generally safe only if a doctor diagnosed yeast before, it was treated successfully, and the symptoms are the same.

• Ask the pharmacist which product suits you and whether you need a prescription.
• Follow the label or the pharmacist's advice, and finish the course.
• Don't use antifungal treatment more than twice in 6 months without seeing a doctor.
• Antifungal creams can damage latex condoms, so they may not protect you during treatment.
• Pregnant, breastfeeding, or treating a girl? Ask a doctor first.

Prescription medicines. A doctor may prescribe fluconazole tablets for yeast, or an antibiotic such as metronidazole for BV or trichomoniasis.

Buy only FDA-registered products. In 2021, FDA Philippines warned the public against unregistered products, including a vaginal tablet labelled "OTC", because their quality and safety cannot be guaranteed. Ask the pharmacist whether a product is registered, and be careful with products sold online.

Some remedies for "makating pwerta" shared online make it worse.

• Washing inside with suka (vinegar), feminine wash or antiseptic. This is douching, which WHO links to BV.
• Toothpaste, alcohol, kalamansi or bleach. These burn and irritate the thin skin of the vulva and can make the itch worse. They are not treatments for vaginal infections.
• Tawas (alum). We found no good evidence that it treats vaginal infections, and it can sting broken skin.
• Bawang (garlic), herbs or leaves inside the vagina. WHO lists putting herbs or other products into the vagina as a risk factor for BV.
• Suob (steaming) over boiled bayabas or other leaves. MedlinePlus advises against vaginal steaming because it may raise the risk of infection, and steam can burn.

"Makati kasi marumi." (It itches because it's dirty.) Not true: yeast lives naturally in the body, and over-washing often makes itching worse.

"Bawal ang matamis." (No sweets.) WHO says the evidence for strict anti-yeast diets is limited. Controlling diabetes does help.

WHO advises talking to a health worker before trying any home remedy.

You can ask for a female health worker and for someone you trust to stay with you.

1. You are asked about your symptoms, periods, partners and medicines, and whether you could be pregnant.
2. The health worker may look at the vulva and inside the vagina. You can ask them to stop at any time.
3. They may take a swab of the discharge, and offer tests for other STIs.

Where lab tests are not available, WHO recommends treating vaginal discharge based on the symptoms.

Treatment depends on the cause: antifungals for yeast, antibiotics for BV and trichomoniasis, antivirals for herpes (best started within 5 days), steroid ointment for lichen sclerosus, and moisturisers or hormone treatment for dryness after menopause.

Partners may need a check too: see the questions below.

• Pregnancy. Yeast is more common in pregnancy, and BV and trichomoniasis can raise the chance of early birth. See your doctor or midwife before using any cream or medicine. See our prenatal check-up guide.
• Breastfeeding. Ask a doctor before any treatment.
• Diabetes or a weak immune system. Yeast infections are more likely, so see a doctor for them. See signs of diabetes and our HIV testing guide.
• Menopause. A vaginal moisturiser or water-based lubricant can ease dryness. Don't use creams not made for the vagina. Any bleeding after menopause needs a check.
• Young girls. Yeast infections are uncommon before puberty. Irritation from soap or threadworms can also cause itching. Bring her to a doctor instead of using medicine on her.

• Barangay health station or rural health unit (RHU): a good first stop. Find one near you.
• Social hygiene clinic: some city and municipal health offices run one for STI checks. Ask your health office whether there is one near you and what it charges.
• PhilHealth YAKAP clinic: as of July 2025, check-ups at your registered YAKAP clinic are free, though a private one may charge up to ₱900 per patient a year. Your YAKAP doctor can order lab tests and prescribe medicines from the GAMOT list, free at accredited pharmacies up to ₱20,000 a year. PhilHealth's 2026 YAKAP standards list clotrimazole and fluconazole as GAMOT medicines for vaginal yeast infection. Ask your YAKAP doctor which medicines for your condition are covered. See our PhilHealth YAKAP guide.
• Private OB-GYN: ask about fees first.

Too shy to go yet? Ask our symptoms assistant in private or book a call with a nurse. For itching elsewhere, see our itchy skin guide and our women's health guides.

• Wash the outside only, with water or mild unscented soap. Skip douches, sprays and scented wipes.
• Wear cotton underwear and change out of wet or sweaty clothes quickly.
• Take antibiotics only when a doctor prescribes them.
• Use a condom every time you have sex, and get an STI check when you have a new partner.
• Don't smoke, which is part of the advice to prevent BV.

If yeast or BV comes back four or more times a year, see a doctor: longer treatment can help.