Abstract
Background: Vulvar itching can affect any woman at any age. It can lead to scratching and rubbing which can break the skin and can lead to soreness, bleeding and skin infections. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of vulvar itching, its manifestations and the previously doctor diagnosed causes among females in KSA. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out on general female population of Saudi Arabia, during the period from 1 January to 31 June 2019. Data was collected from Saudi general female population. Multistage random sampling technique was followed. Data was collected by using pre designed online questionnaire which include questions designed to fulfill the study objectives. Risk factors were determined using X-2 test. P value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Among 2791 studied females, the total incidence of vulvar itching was 43.9%. The reported causes were Trichomonas vaginalis 31.9%, fungal infection 33.2%, mixed infection 15.3%, bacterial infection 6.9%, chemical irritation in 1.5% and only 0.1% for chronic cervicitis. According to relation of pruritus vulva to age, marital status, DM, keeping genital area dry and dysuria, our study found that there was significant relation with marital status, DM, keeping genital area dry and dysuria (P< 0.05) but, there was no significant relation found with age. Conclusion: in our study, the total incidence of vulvar itching was 43.9%. The most frequently reported causes were Trichomonas vaginalis then fungal infection and mixed infection. So, we recommend health education about the preventive measures and prompt treatment of the cases to prevent the recurrence.