Yeast Infections After Sexual Intercourse

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Yeast Infections After Sexual Intercourse

Question:

I get recurrent yeast infections after I have sexual intercourse. Does this mean my partner has an infection that needs to be treated?

Answer:

A vaginal yeast infection is not a sexually transmitted disease. Doctors usually do not recommend treating sexual partners.

Yeast is a fungus that normally lives in the vagina. It causes symptoms only when it grows in large numbers. The main symptoms are itching of the vulvar skin, and a thick, white vaginal discharge.

Yeast infections are common in women. They usually respond quickly when treated with antifungal creams or pills. However, some women tend to get repeat infections. This leads doctors to look for risk factors that might be changed to control repeat infections. Risk factors include the use of antibiotics and hormone contraceptives, diabetes, pregnancy, and a weakened immune system.

Women who are sexually active get yeast infections more often than women who are not. This is probably the result of changes in the woman's vaginal environment brought on by sex rather than an increased exposure to yeast from a partner. Yeast can grow on the skin in a man's genital area, but this is rarely the source of his partner's infection.

Women can buy antifungal creams over-the-counter for self-treatment. However, women with recurring infections often need to take a stronger antifungal medication over a longer time. Treating recurring yeast infection is best done under the guidance of your doctor.

Joan Bengtson, M.D., is assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive biology at Harvard Medical School and a member of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproduction at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Last updated:	July 20, 2009