How do you find a doctor to diagnose?

Possible LS

Since my early twenties I have struggled with on and off again symptoms of irritation and burning stinging pain, tears/fissures in the vulvar/perineal area and itching.

I am now 31 and for the past two years been battling diagnosis of cycling between yeast/bv. The treatment for that seems to help at first but the symptoms always come back usually right after my menstrual cycle.

I never have the weird discharge associated with either BV or yeast or a fishy smell, always just the external burning and sometimes itching. I'm currently on a 7 day course of metronidazole for BV and taking diflucan every other day to prevent a yeast infection. But my symptoms are not really any better which has lead me down this rabbit hole of wondering if it could be lichen sclerosus.

I feel lost as to who to see or how to get a diagnosis but my intuition is telling me its a skin issue and not a vaginal issue. I looked down there and I dont have any white patches but my skin does seem wrinkly in spots and I have some skin tags that one doctor said are normal and no one else has commented on them.

I just want to not be in pain and be able to have a normal sex life with my husband. I was on birth control for a few months thinking that might help because it seemed related to my period but that just made the symptoms worse.

I live in the Central PA area if anyone has specific provider recommendations.

Posted Nov 5, 2025, 1:55 AM UTC

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