It can be totally scary to feel like there’s an issue “down there,” whether you’re experiencing a new symptom like itching or odor, or your body is just changing in ways that you didn’t expect. If this makes you feel any better: the vast majority of girls who write in or even see their doctors thinking there’s some big “problem” end up being perfectly fine, healthy and normal, and are just experiencing the changes that come with transitioning from girl-to-woman (which can be surprising!).

That said, since you feel concerned, you should get answers. A lot of times, and I’m not saying this is always the case, but often, girls worry that their moms will freak out if they even bring up the topic of intimate health. But then when I talk to moms, most moms tell me they wish their daughters would confide in them more. So keep that in mind–your mom may not be as panicked as you think if you do confide in her. And there are ways to bring up issues that will help your mom stay calm, for instance: “Mom, I have a question about my body that I’m pretty concerned about. Can I talk to you about it?” Pick a peaceful moment, and don’t bring it up when you two are rushing or she’s already stressed, and give your mother a little set-up so she has time to think about her answer. It’s not so much that your mother doesn’t want to help; it’s that she’s surprised that you’re growing up so fast, so these questions can catch her off-guard. But if you absolutely can’t talk to your mother, don’t be alone with your concerns–that’s stress you do not need. Find another adult you can trust, such as your school nurse (she hears questions like this all day) or a health-care professional like your regular pediatrician or nurse-practitioner or one at a clinic.

You’re bringing up such an important point, which is: how can you get information you can trust about your intimate health? Unfortunately, while friends can be a good source of comfort (like when you find out they’re experiencing the same things you are) they’re not always a reliable source of medical information. The truth is that despite what your friend says, being itchy does not necessarily indicate that you have a sexually transmitted disease (many health professionals now prefer to call these “Sexually Transmitted Infections” or “STI”s). There are actually lots of reasons for itch. Sweat from exercising, tight clothing, your period, and normal hormonal fluctuations can all be contributing factors. Many girls who have issues with itch are not even sexually active. But itching can be a symptom of an infection, such as a vaginal yeast infection, or urinary tract infection (which you can get even if you are a virgin). Or itch can also be a symptom of Bacterial Vaginosis (a vaginal bacterial infection) or of Trichomonosis (an STI). If you think you might have an infection, or you have symptoms that are bothering you, your best move is to seek medical advice from a health care professional. Many infections are easily treated, but left untreated, infections (even non-sexually transmitted ones) can grow into bigger and bigger health problems. And if your itching is not due to an infection, your health care professional can advise you on which products might work best to relieve your symptoms–and she can give you accurate medical advice you can trust about this and other topics that come up.

A lot of girls visit this site because they think something is “wrong”… often because they’re experiencing itchiness or a new discharge or odor. The good news is, since you are at an age where your body is changing, chances are there’s nothing wrong at all. In fact, most young women experience some degree of discharge and a musky odor as they go through puberty and start getting their period. (It’s highly unusual for this odor to be so strong that it’s detectable through your clothing, by the way.) If you’re bothered by itching, wetness or odor you can find relief with over-the-counter products such as Vagisil® Anti-Itch Creme for itching, odor and discharge and/or Vagisil® Powder for wetness. But if you feel concerned about your symptoms or worried at all that things aren’t normal, check in with your doctor so she can reassure you (or, if necessary, diagnose and treat you).

The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) recommends that teen girls have their first visit to the gynecologist by the age of 15, whether or not you are sexually active. Why should you go, even if you’re not having sex? Because you want to have a medical ally that you feel familiar with so that when questions arise, you’ll have someone you trust to bring those questions to. From the doctor’s point of view, she wants to get to know you and see what is normal for your body, so that if there are changes that signal an issue, she can help treat those as they come up.

For women who are sexually active, the doctor may perform an internal pelvic exam, meaning you lie back on an exam table with your feet in stirrups and your knees bent to allow the doctor to look inside your vagina to make sure everything is healthy. If your doctor is a man, a female health professional will also be present for this part of the exam (ask him to send a female nurse in if this doesn’t happen).While this sounds unsettling, it lasts only a few minutes and if you ask the doctor to explain everything to you before she begins, that information can eliminate a lot of the scare-factor. She’ll also talk about birth control and how to help prevent sexually transmitted infections. If you are not sexually active, the doctor will probably not do an internal pelvic exam but you’ll still have the opportunity to have all of your questions answered. Bring a list (it’s so easy to forget what you wanted to talk about once you’re sitting there in your paper gown!). Also know that you can ask your mom to wait outside if that makes you feel more comfortable. Even though it’s new and you may feel afraid, try to look at this as your opportunity to take charge of your health. The whole exam is generally under 10 minutes long and you can ask your doctor beforehand (before you get undressed) what exactly to expect–you can even ask her to show you any of the instruments she’ll be using or how any tests she’s going to conduct will work or feel, so that you’re eliminating the “surprise” element–sometimes knowing exactly what’s going to happen can make you feel a lot less nervous. Don’t feel rushed even if there are a lot of people waiting in the waiting room–you are your doctor’s sole focus right now and your health is what’s most important to her.

You’re so not alone in how you are feeling. Think about it: there are magazine columns, Web sites (like this one!) and even entire books dedicated to answering girls’ and women’s questions about their bodies. Why would that be the case if there was only one girl asking all the questions J? Exactly. Most girls and young women experience changes that they have questions about, and the vast majority of those changes are totally normal. The tricky part is that everyone’s body is different, so it’s not like you can just look at your mom or your best friend to tell what’s normal or even what will happen with your body. It’s really common for girls to feel like they’re having issues like itch or odor because they “did something wrong,” but honestly, these symptoms are often just part of the way your body is changing right now and do not indicate a problem at all. The important thing is, if you have questions, there are lots of places for you to find answers. The fact that you’re looking up answers on this Web site shows that you know how to find accurate resources. But you can also turn to your school nurse or doctor to have them recommend books and other places to read more about what’s going on with your body, what to expect, and what’s completely normal.