Vertical/Complete Vaginal Septum

Also known as: vertical vaginal septum, complete vaginal septum, double vagina, longitudinal vagina septum.

What is vertical/complete vaginal septum?

 A vertical, or complete vaginal septum, refers to a vagina which has a extra wall of tissue dividing the vagina into 2 separate cavities.

What causes vertical/complete vaginal septum?

Vertical/complete vaginal septum is a congenital birth defect, the exact cause of which is unknown.

What are the symptoms of vertical/complete vaginal septum?

During childhood, girls may have no symptoms. Once puberty starts there may be difficulty with pain inserting a tampon, or menstrual bleeding may continue after the placement of a tampon or later there may be pain with intercourse and/or it being noticed that the penis moves more to one side. While reproduction may be normal, it’s not uncommon for babies to be born prematurely and there is a greater risk of breech delivery.

What are vertical/complete vaginal septum care options?

Observation only may be reasonable if the condition causes no complications. Surgery to remove the wall of tissue to establish a single vagina may be recommended.

Reviewed by: Jack Wolfsdorf, MD, FAAP

This page was last updated on: September 27, 2019 04:14 PM