Women are facing considerable delays in receiving a diagnosis for lichen sclerosus, a lifelong inflammatory condition that affects the genitals. Symptoms can include intimate itching, soreness, splitting, and tears, with white patches forming.
Monica Thomas, 34, from Suffolk, experienced symptoms from her teens, which were repeatedly dismissed as thrush. She underwent 28 examinations in six months before a biopsy led to her diagnosis. Monica described being bed-bound due to pain and the significant impact on her mental health from multiple misdiagnoses, including being told she was too young for the condition.
Clare Baumhaeur, 53, from Kent, first experienced symptoms at age five. She was diagnosed with lichen sclerosus and vulval cancer in 2016 after a tear did not heal. Clare believes an earlier diagnosis of lichen sclerosus might have led to her cancer being detected before it reached stage three.
Dr Nighat Arif, a GP specialising in women's health, states that lichen sclerosus affects men and women but is more common in women over 50. The condition is not contagious, nor is it caused by infection or poor personal hygiene. Research into its prevalence is limited, but a University of Bristol analysis estimated it affects about 1% of women in the West Midlands and Warwickshire, which researchers believe is an underestimate.