Scarleteen

hi,

today while i was at work i noticed some slight itching and soreness down there and i just took a shower and decided to examine. using a hand mirror, i pulled apart my labia and noticed a pea-sized bump on the inside of my labia minora, close to the vaginal opening but definitely *on* the labia. the bump is the same color as the skin around it and is sore to the touch. i used a warm, damp compress on it during the shower which alleviated the soreness a little bit and when i looked again the swelling was slightly less. i looked at pictures and what i'm experiencing looks most like a bartholin's cyst, but i wanted to see if there's anything else it could be. there's some slight discomfort in the area when i first sit down but it fades quickly. i read that most vaginal cysts clear up on their own with minimal intervention (i'm planning on continuing the compresses), and i also wanted to know the point at which i should be concerned and see a doctor. thank you!

Hi phantomdog,

Ouch, that sounds unpleasant. We can't say for certain what it is, but one possibility is that it's basically a pimple that's developed on your labia. In any case, the time to check in with a healthcare provider would be if you notice it's not going away after a few days, or if you notice it suddenly getting worse or notice that it has discharge of some kind. Does that help at all?

yeah! it's already gone down a lot and it's all good. thank you!!