If pads & tampons irritate or hurt you, you might want to look into different options. Pads & tampons aren't the only things out there. There are menstrual cups (both disposable & reusuable), and sea sponges, and maybe other things. The cups tend to be either plastic, latex rubber or silicone. The sponges are natural sponges. These options may irritate you less or not at all. You might even find that they are more reliable than pads & tampons.
I have this problem everytime i wear pads with my period and i asked my ob and its an allergic reaction to pads...unfortanitly i havent found a pad im not allergic to yet and i get bad pains with tampons! I just try a different pad each time until i can find something that actually works... it ***** bad but i buy the gel a and d ointment and it helps alot! Get the gel though not the white crap..... theres not much u can do but find what ur reacting to lucky for me it only haooened when i got my period so it was easy to get an answer to...hope this helps
You have a yeast infection, see your gyno immediately. And use condoms
Just to add to her comment---
Women use FAR too many hygiene products. As a woman in her forties who has had a host of problems, including hormonal changes and infertility, I can tell you that many of the comments on this page are from women using too many products. If you shave, you irritate the skin, and it itches like crazy as it grows back. If you think you need to douche because of a weird discharge (with the exception of yeast), go see a doctor. It will not go away. You don't need to use soap to scrub yourself. Women are not born dirty. If there is a smell, there is a problem. If you have peeling skin, you are using or doing too much of something. Try avoiding all soap and shaving to see if the area will calm down. It's much like baby skin; the more products you use, the problems you have.
You should contact your doctor (your OB/GYN). It could be bacterial vaginosis. It's usually caused by antibiotics, and pretty easy to treat. There's no reason to let fear keep you from getting a diagnosis and getting better.