Is It BV, a Yeast Infection, or an STI?

You often can't from symptoms alone: that's the honest answer, and it matters. Classic patterns exist: yeast tends to cause thick, white, cottage-cheese-like discharge with intense itching and no odor; BV causes thin, gray discharge with a fishy smell; trichomoniasis (an STI) causes frothy yellow-green discharge with odor and itching. But they overlap heavily, and trichomoniasis in particular mimics BV and yeast. Only a provider's exam or a test can tell them apart reliably.

No, neither bacterial vaginosis nor a yeast infection is a sexually transmitted infection. Both come from a change in the natural balance of bacteria or yeast in the vagina, and you can get them without any sexual contact. That said, their symptoms overlap with real STIs like trichomoniasis, so it's worth confirming the cause rather than assuming.

Because trichomoniasis is a sexually transmitted infection, and it's the one most often mistaken for BV or a yeast infection. If it's trich, treating yourself for yeast won't work, your partner needs treatment too, and it should prompt testing for other STIs. Trich is very common and easily cured with antibiotics once it's correctly identified, which is exactly why testing rather than guessing matters.

Only if you're sure it's yeast, and studies show most people who self-diagnose yeast are wrong a lot of the time. If an over-the-counter antifungal doesn't clear things up in a few days, if you have a fishy odor or greenish discharge, if there's burning when you pee or bleeding, or if you've had a new partner, see a provider and get tested rather than repeating treatment.

Soon, if you have a new or unusual discharge, a fishy or foul odor, itching or burning that doesn't settle, pain during sex, bleeding between periods, or pelvic or lower-belly pain, or if you've had a recent new partner. These can signal an STI or an infection that needs prescription treatment, and some (like untreated chlamydia or gonorrhea) can affect fertility if ignored.

Completely. This tool runs entirely in your browser: your symptoms are never sent to a server, saved, or shared. It's educational and cannot diagnose you; only a provider and a test can.