Are Yeast Infections Contagious?
This is a frequent question among men and women. When you are diagnosed with yeast infection you may wonder: Can I pass this on to my partner? Or Did I get it from my partner?
It's not contagious like other health problems, for example a woman can't spread her yeast infection to other women. But yeast infections can give way to a yeast infection in your partner especially with a man that is not circumcised.
That is why for men, to prevent yeast infections it is important to always clean the penis thoroughly and to keep the genital area dry. Avoid sharing towels and wearing tight clothing as well. If not a yeast infection can grow under the skin and infect his partner during sexual intercourse.
Although men rarely get chronic yeast infections, he can slightly pass it on to a woman and if she's had a yeast infection in the past it can reoccur.
In both cases, men and women should keep their genital area clean and dry. Avoid using regular body soap to wash your genital area; you should use a mild soap or glycerin soap and there are even soap products now that are made especially to clean the genital area.
So are yeast infections contagious?
They can be, although in most cases yeast infections are not passed on to your partner. Nonetheless you should always prevent spreading a yeast infection because it is possible for you to pass it onto your partner and it may take some time before the yeast infection is detected.
Although we all have yeast naturally in our bodies, to get a yeast infection it take more than just sexual intercourse, a yeast infection is caused by an alteration in the balance of the yeast in our bodies. But having sexual intercourse with someone that has a yeast infection can increase your chances of getting a yeast infection.