Can You Have Sex With a Yeast Infection?

Dealing with the symptoms of a vaginal yeast infection is a real pain—you probably won’t forget the intense burning and itching any time soon—but the process of getting rid of one can be confusing too. Even though they are really common, it’s not always clear what you can and cannot do while treating a yeast infection. Case in point: Can you have sex with a yeast infection, or should you wait until a doctor gives you the all clear?

“You are capable of having sex while undergoing treatment for a yeast infection, but it is not advisable,” Felice Gersh, M.D., an ob-gyn and founder of the Integrative Medical Group of Irvine, tells SELF. Her advice is to allow healing and restoration to occur without any friction or trauma to the vaginal tissues. In other words, it’s best to avoid making the situation down there any worse. Dr. Gersh also advises waiting since there is a small chance of passing the yeast infection to your partner—and it could also just feel downright uncomfortable for you.¹

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If you have a vagina, then you probably know all too well when something isn’t quite right in your nethers. According to the Mayo Clinic, you’ll want to watch out for extreme itchiness and irritation in and around the vagina. Symptoms of a yeast infection also include inflammation and swelling of the vagina and vulva, pain when urinating or having sex, soreness, and a telltale white-ish vaginal discharge that looks like cottage cheese.

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Candida albicans is a type of fungus that normally lives inside the body and on your skin, according to the CDC. Sometimes, this fungus grows out of control in places like your vagina, throat, and mouth. When this happens, you can end up with a yeast infection, which causes some very unpleasant side effects like the vaginal itching, irritation, and burning mentioned above (trust us, you’ll know when something isn’t right). That said, your vagina naturally contains a balance of both candida albicans and lactobacillus, a “friendly” bacteria that works to inhibit the overgrowth of yeast. When this balance is working, all is good! But when the balance is disrupted, an overgrowth can occur.

According to the Mayo Clinic, some things that can disrupt vaginal pH balance include:

• Being pregnant
• Taking oral birth control or hormone therapy that boosts estrogen
• Antibiotics (which kill all bacteria, including the healthy kind)
• An immune system that is compromised

You can also mess with this balance by using scented soaps, laundry detergents, or even having sex, according to Planned Parenthood. That’s because when your vagina’s pH balance changes too much, it can prevent lactobacillus bacteria from producing enough acid to defend against yeast overgrowth. Think of it as an ever-tipping balance of good and evil, but for your privates.

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How long a yeast infection sticks around really depends on what’s happening in your vagina and your personal preferences in terms of yeast infection treatment. If your symptoms are mild to moderate, you can use a short-course antifungal medication for one to seven days, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. These come in a cream, ointment, tablet, or suppository and are available either over-the-counter or with a prescription. Most of these options will clear up the average infection in under a week.²

Another method to consider is a one-and-done oral medication like fluconazole (Diflucan), a single-dose treatment your doctor can prescribe to treat a yeast infection. But if symptoms become severe or you’re prone to multiple infections, your doctor may recommend a more involved treatment plan such as more oral doses of fluconazole or alternative treatments that have been shown to help some people when other options don’t work, like boric acid, nystatin, or flucytosine, which you apply directly in the vagina, per the CDC. No matter what kind of yeast infection treatment you pursue, it’s incredibly important to finish the whole course of medication and to closely follow your doctor’s plan, even after your symptoms have cleared up. Otherwise that pesky yeast can claw its way back into microbe domination.

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Technically yes, you can have sex while treating a vaginal yeast infection, but it’s definitely complicated and something you’ll probably want to avoid. Here’s why: If you’re treating a yeast infection with a vaginal suppository, ointment, or cream and decide to have sex, you run the risk of making your medication less effective—and possibly prolonging the infection.

Oral medications also pose a problem because you still have to worry about further irritating your vagina during sex and making yourself more susceptible to other infections. Penetrative acts tend to involve a lot of friction, which can create micro-abrasions in your vagina if it’s already irritated, Jacques Moritz, M.D. an ob-gyn at Mount Sinai, tells SELF. Those tiny tears can cause your poor vagina to feel even more inflamed. Plus, micro-tears in your vagina can make you more susceptible to sexually transmitted infections because they create openings for illness-causing pathogens to enter more easily, Dr. Moritz says.

Additionally there’s the issue of potentially passing a yeast infection to your partner, which is reason enough to wait. (More on this below.)

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Let’s get right to the burning question: Is a yeast infection contagious? Yes and no. It’s not really “contagious” in the way we normally think of something being contagious, and here’s why: Your body chemistry can react to the overgrowth of yeast or bacteria present within your partner’s genitals or mouth, transferring yeast and causing your own yeast to grow. But this is not the same thing as spreading a sexually transmitted infection (STI), according to Planned Parenthood. In the case of an STI, viruses or bacteria that are not naturally present in your body are introduced, causing a host of symptoms.

Practically speaking, though, you can pass a yeast infection to a partner, which is a big reason to wait to have sex. Another way you might transmit yeast is through kissing if you have an overgrowth of candida fungus in your mouth (known as oral thrush). Again, this is possible, but not likely. That’s because we all have candida present in our mouth, but it only becomes thrush when it overgrows. Otherwise, generally healthy people are not at an increased risk of developing thrush from close contact, per the Cleveland Clinic.

Now let’s talk a bit more about penises and vaginas, specifically. A person with a penis can get a yeast infection from a person with a vagina, but the reason why is a bit more complicated. While the risk of infection is low, having unprotected oral or penetrative penis-in-vagina sex while you have a yeast infection could potentially cause you to pass extra yeast on to your partner, per the Office on Women’s Health. About 15% of people get an itchy rash on their penis after unprotected sex with a person who has a vaginal yeast infection.

Although yeast infections in people with penises are less common than in people with vaginas, Amy Roskin, M.D., ob-gyn and chief medical officer at the Pill Club, tells SELF that it can happen, even though it’s not technically classified as a sexually transmitted infection. According to Dr. Roskin, there are some risk factors that up the odds, including being uncircumcised (the moist conditions under the “hood” are ideal for yeast to grow), having diabetes (the excess glucose in the body is yeast’s food of choice³), or using antibiotics for a prolonged period of time (it knocks out yeast’s main opponent, bacteria).

With that in mind if you’re having oral or penis-in-vagina sex, it may be necessary for both you and your partner to get treated for yeast infections at the same time. Otherwise, there is a risk you’ll keep passing it back and forth to each other.

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Look, we get it. Putting sex on hold might not be ideal, but it’s so worth it to wait when you’re dealing with any type of vaginal infection. Plus, you really only need to wait until all of your symptoms are cleared up and you’ve finished treatment. Most antifungal treatments take effect rather quickly, so this typically means waiting about seven days after the onset of symptoms and until all symptoms are gone, according to Dr. Gersh. That said, some infections take longer to clear or require a stronger and longer treatment protocol, so resuming sexual activities after seven days may not be realistic depending on your situation. Also, if your partner is being treated, make sure symptoms have cleared up for both of you. When in doubt, ask your doctor. They can determine if the infection is gone and if it’s safe to have sex.

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Infections that occur in or near the vaginal area can lead to worsening problems if you don’t address them quickly. The most accurate way to tell the difference between a yeast infection, urinary tract infection (UTI), and an STI is to see your primary care doctor or gynecologist if you have one. They can do a physical exam and run lab tests to check for unique markers of each condition.

Because some STIs and yeast infections can share similar symptoms, differentiating between the two is especially challenging. For example, some STIs like herpes, genital warts, and trichomoniasis can present with unusual discharge, itchiness, and irritation, similar to a yeast infection, according to the Cleveland Clinic. You might even notice a vaginal odor. If you’ve had unprotected sex, it’s a good idea to schedule an appointment with your doctor or visit your local urgent care clinic as soon as you can to determine if the symptoms are related to an STI or yeast infection.

On the other hand, the symptoms of a UTI vs. yeast infection are very different, according to the Office on Women’s Health. Some common symptoms of a UTI include a strong, persistent urge to urinate, pressure in the lower abdomen, and passing frequent, small amounts of urine—none of which would typically be the case for a yeast infection. In any case, having sex with a UTI, STI, or yeast infection isn’t a good idea.

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If you’ve had one yeast infection, there’s a good chance you might end up with at least one more. Almost 50% of people with vaginas have two or more yeast infections in their lifetime, according to the Mayo Clinic. What’s more, about 5% of people with vaginas get four or more in one year, which is called recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC), per the Office on Women’s Health.

According to a 2020 review published in the journal Microorganisms, risk factors associated with RVVC include high estrogen conditions (which can be caused by estrogen replacement therapy, occur during the period of time right after ovulation, or develop during pregnancy), type 2 diabetes, immunosuppression drugs, antibiotic therapy, and the use of contraceptives and intrauterine devices (IUDs).⁴ In some cases, your genetics and ethnicity may also play a role. If you are dealing with RVVC, your doctor may treat you with antifungal medicine for up to six months.

One other thing to note is that not all yeast infections are caused by candida albicans, and other types of fungus can be more persnickety in terms of treatment. If you do have frequent yeast infections, it’s a good idea to get a vaginal culture test done at your doctor’s office to figure out the exact strain you’re dealing with. In some cases, you may actually have a seemingly similar but different condition, such as a bacterial infection (like bacterial vaginosis) or an allergy to something like an ingredient in your bubble bath products. In that sense, your “recurrences” are something else entirely and warrant different treatment options.

The bottom line: When it comes to having sex with a yeast infection, waiting until your symptoms are gone and you’re done with treatment is key—and may help you avoid further vaginal problems down the road.

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Sources:

1. Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care, Vaginal Yeast Infection (Thrush): Overview
2. Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care, Vaginal Yeast Infection (Thrush): What Helps?
3. Journal of Clinical Medicine, Candida sp. Infections in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus
4. Microorganisms, Recurrent Vulvovaginal Candidiasis: An Immunological Perspective

Related:

• 9 Signs of Chlamydia Everyone With a Vagina Should Know
• 18 Reasons You Have Itchy Breasts or Nipples—and How to Find Relief
• Everything You Need to Know About Fungal Acne, Including How to Treat It