ArticleBMC women's health2022
Lived experience of medical management in recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis: a qualitative study of an uncertain journey.
Article in BMC women's health, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 19 citations in OpenAlex.
- Cervicovaginal lavage fluid iron and manganese levels in women with and without vaginitis.BMC women's health · 2026Trial
- Intravaginal Combination Therapy of Acetic and Lactic Acid in premenopausal women with recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis: A randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled feasibility trial.Women's health (London, England)Trial
- Treatment recommendations for recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis across complementary and conventional disciplines: a national survey of Australian healthcare professionals.International journal of clinical pharmacy · 2026Article
- Latent profile analysis of stigma and medical coping among patients with vaginitis: a cross-sectional study.BMC women's health · 2026Article
- 'It's not just thrush, it's recurrent thrush': a qualitative study of patient and clinician perspectives on diagnosing recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2026Article
- Accumulative experiences of recurrent vulvovaginal thrush: a qualitative study of primary care navigation from patient and clinician perspectives.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2026Article
- Contribution of fungal diseases to the U.S. chronic disease burden.Clinical microbiology reviews · 2026Review
- Attending to Gyn-Ecology: Managing the 'Mess' of Recurrent Vulvovaginal Thrush.Sociology of health & illness · 2026Article
- Economic burden of recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis in Uganda: a cost-of-illness analysis.IJID regions · 2025Article
- Benign Mesenchymal Tumor of the Vulva: A Case Report and Narrative Review of the Literature.Cureus · 2025Article
- Genital cutaneous candidiasis versus chronic recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis: distinct diseases, different populations.Clinical microbiology reviews · 2025Review
- Knowledge of Vulvovaginal Candidiasis Characteristics, Signs, Symptoms, and Appropriate Treatment Among Portuguese Pharmacy Professionals.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- The impact of fluconazole use on the fungal and bacterial microbiomes in recurrent Vulvovaginal Candidiasis (RVVC): a pilot study of vaginal and gastrointestinal site interplay.European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology · 2025Article
- Epidemiological Profile of Patients with Vulvovaginal Candidiasis from a Sexually Transmitted Infection Clinic in Southern Spain.Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Barriers and facilitators of adherence to treatment among women with vulvovaginal candidiasis: a qualitative study.European journal of medical research · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundRecurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC) is experienced by up to 10% of pre-menopausal women globally, yet there is limited research exploring the perspective of women living with this challenging condition.
methodsSemi-structured interviews with Australian women experiencing RVVC were conducted between April-July 2021. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, and qualitative interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was conducted.
resultsTen RVVC patients were interviewed. IPA revealed an uncertain journey living with RVVC for all participants ranging from initial symptoms and difficulties in obtaining a diagnosis, the trial and error of symptom management, to the overall debilitating impact of living with a personal and intimate health condition. Four key themes were identified: Theme 1 outlined challenges and delays in diagnosis and clinically appropriate management. Theme 2 found that health care professional (HCP) knowledge limitations impacted RVVC management. Theme 3 illustrated the consequences of a lack of HCP support leading to self-referral and self-education. Theme 4 details the significant emotional and psycho-social repercussions of RVVC.
conclusionsThis debilitating, life-long disease has a prolonged effect on women both physically and psychologically. Living with RVVC seems an uncertain journey that, to a large degree, women feel they must navigate alone. While resilience and self-empowerment were noted, better support through evidence-based treatment options, educated and evidence-informed HCPs and a sympathetic social support network is needed to decrease the disease burden. Future clinical management guidelines and patient support need to consider the findings of this study.
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