Bartholinitis is the inflammation of one or both of the two Bartholin's glands, which are located on both sides of the opening of the vagina, behind the labia. The inflammation is sometimes due to germs collected during sex, but in many cases the inflammation is not sexually transmitted.
Each Bartholin's gland is about the size of a small pea. Most people do not know they exist as they are very discreet.
Each of them has a short tube, known as a "duct" (about an inch or 2.5cm long) that carries glandular secretions to the surface, just in front of the hymen and just behind the inner lip of the vulva.
Until about 40 years ago, most doctors thought that the job of Bartolino's glands was to produce all the fluid that a woman needs for lubrication during sex. The work of US researchers Masters and Johnson showed that this was not true and that the majority of female lubrication actually comes from higher up inside the vagina.
However, it is believed that the two Bartholin's glands produce a small amount of fluid in response to sexual arousal, and that the function of this fluid is to provide some lubrication for the lips.
Because they are so close to the outside, the Bartholin's glands can be infected by germs that find their way into the small duct and into the glandular tissue.
Bartholinitis can be caused by gonococcus, which is the germ of the sexually transmitted infection gonorrhea. For that reason, if you have bartholinitis it is wise to get tested for gonorrhea. A chlamydia test should also be done.
If you are unlucky enough to get an attack of bartolinitis, the symptoms are:
- Pain in the region of one of the labia minora (inner lips).
- Swelling in the same area
- Possibly a slight discharge from the same region.
- You may also have a slight fever.
Because this is a fairly specialized area of medicine, your best move is probably to go to a sexual or genitourinary health (GUM) clinic for diagnosis and treatment. Doctors are used to seeing Bartholinitis and knowing exactly how to treat it.
They will take swabs and send them to the laboratory for bacteriological analysis and give you a suitable antibiotic to get rid of the germs.
In general, they advise you not to have sex until the infection is completely better.
