Are Yeast Infections Contagious?

Yeast infections are an irritating but frequent malady, prompting people to wonder, "Are yeast infections contagious?" Unfortunately the answer to this excellent question is a bit more complicated than just a simple no/yes response.

Usual signs of yeast infections in women include pain or burning during urination, a white vaginal discharge, an unpleasant odor, and itchiness. In men, symptoms can include penile irritation and cracked skin, as well as pain, and white or red bumps. Yeast infections often get a hold when something causes the totally harmless yeast present on the humanbody to overgrow. The root cause of this often is down to a thing that has upset the body's normal chemical balance, such as some medications such as antibiotics, illness, stress or hormone changes. Since yeast is thought of as normal flora--that is to say, an organism that is naturally found on and in the body--it cannot be contagious, as such. The infectious form, however, might in certain circumstances be spread to other human beings.

A yeast infection could be spread in three main ways: Direct skin-to-skin contact, oral contact, and sexual contact.

Skin-to-skin contact with an infected person could can transfer the infectious yeast to someone else, causing an excessive growth of yeast on that other person and the expansion of an infection. Oral contact with a person suffering with a yeast infection can cause oral thrush, which is actually a yeast infection of the mouth. This could happen to babies who have breastfed from mothers with yeast infections.

By far the most common way to spread a yeast infection is through sexual contact, though a yeast infection is not recognised as a sexually transmitted disease. Moist, dark locations on the body, such as the genital region, are excellent breeding grounds for an excess growth of yeast, so sexual contact delivers an efficient route to passing on this kind of infection. Partners who have repeated sexual intercourse can even pass the same infection between each other on several occasions. It's normally counselled that people with an active, current yeast infection avoid sexual intercourse until the infection has cleared. Wearing condoms is another option that can help avoid transmission, but it is not a complete solution because there' s still direct skin-to-skin contact.

This kind of infections are not airborne, so no one will get an infection simply from being in the same area as an infected person. Making use of facilities such as toilets or showers after an infected person is also normally not enough to cause an infection in another person.

If a yeast infection does occur it must be treated without delay, either through over the counter treatments, an appropriate yeast infection treatment recommended by a general practioner, or even some natural remedies for yeast infections will be highly effective. Yeast infections aren't normally life threatening, but if not dealt with they can turn into a chronic issue that is far more difficult to cure.


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