SAINT LOUIS, MO — A researcher here has discovered that women who self-diagnose and treat what they believe to be vaginal yeast infections may not be doing the right thing.”Everything that itches isn’t a yeast infection,” Susan Hoffstetter, a researcher at the University School Of Medicine said in a statement. “Women shouldn’t just run to the drugstore if they think they have a yeast infection. The optimal thing would be to be evaluated.”

Hoffstetter looked at the records of over 100 women who were patients at the University’s Care Vulvar and Vaginal Disease Clinic. All of the patients in the sample group believed they had yeast infections but only 26-percent of the group actually did.

The symptoms that are commonly believed to be those of a yeast infection — dry skin and/or an unpleasant-smelling discharge –could be signs of a sexually-transmitted infection, an inflammation or simply just dry skin. The anti-fungal medication used to treat yeast infections is not going to heal any of those other conditions. According to the results of this study, adult performers — a group that tends to get their fair share of yeast infections — would be well-served by a quick pelvic exam by their health care provider to make sure that a yeast infection is truly the culprit of their discomfort down below.