Attending to Gyn-Ecology: Managing the 'Mess' of Recurrent Vulvovaginal Thrush

Previous social science research on gendered experiences of thrush and vulvovaginal health has overlooked, or inadvertently sanitised, the materiality of having a body. Therefore, this study aims to return attention to the material, sensorial, and corporeal dimensions of living with recurrent thrush and use this to broaden our understandings of gendered embodiment. We present findings from a qualitative study of interviews with 32 people including women, trans, nonbinary and gender diverse people. This paper examines the bodily experiences of recurrent vulvovaginal thrush through a feminist materiality lens, drawing on concepts of 'leaky bodies' and microbiological relationships with the 'not-me'/'not-not-me'. We present the multidimensional experiences of managing recurrent vulvovaginal thrush, examining the 'mess' it creates, the vigilance required to monitor microbial imbalances, the negotiation of gendered perceptions of 'grossness' and the compromises individuals make between physical and emotional dis/comfort. Through attending to the material, microbial, and gendered imaginaries and realities involved in managing the 'mess' of recurrent thrush, we explore the additional considerations and challenges experienced by those with lived experience currently missing from research.