Health · Medical Research · 2 hrs ago
Woman describes delays in diagnosis of lichen sclerosus
Monica Thomas, 34, from Suffolk, says doctors repeatedly dismissed her symptoms before she was diagnosed with lichen sclerosus.
She experienced itching and soreness as a teenager, and later developed sores and blisters that left her in constant pain.
Lichen sclerosus is a lifelong inflammatory condition that affects the skin around the genitals and can cause itching, soreness and tears.
It affects people of all ages and genders, is not contagious, and carries a small risk of vulval cancer.
One regional analysis estimated it affects about 1% of women, but researchers say the true rate may be higher because diagnosis can take a long time.
Thomas says misdiagnoses and embarrassment affected her mental health, and that she now manages the condition with steroid cream without regular checkups.
Researchers say more study is needed to establish how common the condition is, while Thomas is calling for more support for people who have it.
Monica Thomas says she waited for a diagnosis of lichen sclerosus after doctors repeatedly dismissed her symptoms as thrush.
The 34-year-old from Suffolk says she was examined 28 times in six months before being offered a biopsy.
Her symptoms included itching, soreness, sores and blisters, and she says she was bed bound for a long time.
Lichen sclerosus is a lifelong inflammatory condition that affects the genitals and can cause itching, soreness and skin changes.
Experts cited by the BBC say limited awareness and shame around vulval symptoms can contribute to long delays in diagnosis.
- Who
- Monica Thomas, a 34-year-old from Suffolk who founded the charity Women's Health Hope.
- What
- She describes delays and misdiagnoses before being diagnosed with lichen sclerosus.
- When
- Her symptoms began in her teens. The date of her diagnosis is not stated.
- Where
- Suffolk, England.
- Why
- The sources cite shame and embarrassment around vulval symptoms and a lack of awareness, including among healthcare professionals.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Thomas began experiencing intimate itching and soreness, which she says doctors dismissed as thrush.
She says she was examined 28 times before being offered a biopsy.
Thomas was diagnosed with lichen sclerosus.
- Age
- 34
- Location
- Suffolk
- Examinations
- 28 in six months before she was offered a biopsy
- Condition
- Lichen sclerosus
- Estimated prevalence
- About 1% of women in a University of Bristol analysis of people in the West Midlands and Warwickshire
What people are saying
I was bed bound for quite a long time because I couldn't walk
I didn't know how to go on... with having no answer, it was just a horrific, lonely time.
This is almost certainly an underestimate, as we know that there is often a very long delay to diagnosis, and some people probably go their entire lives undiagnosed.
it's not contagious