Vaginal thrush: perceptions and experiences of women of South Asian descent

It is estimated that 75% of all women will, at some time in their lives, ex perience at least one episode of vaginal thrush. This paper reports the per ceptions and experiences of women of South Asian descent living in England, who were suffering or had suffered from thrush. The paper draws upon data collected during 20 semi-structured interviews. The women reported that thr ush sometimes had a considerable impact on their lives, making some of them feel 'dirty', embarrassed, depressed and stigmatized. Some women delayed s eeking professional help even if they had access to a female General Practi tioner. Access to professional care was sometimes hampered by language barr iers, but more often by structural factors of gender and social class. Alth ough almost all the women came originally from Gujarat (or had parents who were born in Gujarat), they reported a wide range of experiences. Since vag inal thrush causes much distress and since it is often preventable, the fin dings presented here have implications for clinical practice. The paper con cludes with suggestions for future developments.