Thrush

Thrush, also known as candidiasis, is a yeast infection that normally affects women and is a common infection that appears in the vagina.

There are other kinds of thrush that can affect the throat, but these are less common.

Thrush is caused by a yeast called candida, which usually lives harmlessly in the body, but can multiply to cause an infection.

It is more common during pregnancy and in people with diabetes. It is not an STI. Thrush might cause itching, soreness and swelling around the vagina, or a thick white discharge. You may also feel discomfort when passing urine or during sex.

If a man has sex with a woman with thrush, this may cause some skin irritation on the man’s penis.

Thrush can be treated by tablets, either put directly into your vagina (pessaries) or taken by mouth and using a soothing cream around the genital area.

Some women have repeated bouts of thrush. It is not entirely clear why this is, and it is often different for different women, but there are things you can do to help prevent thrush from coming on:

• Avoid wearing nylon underwear or tight jeans (this may help the yeast develop in a moist, warm environment)
• After going to the toilet, always wipe from front to back to avoid getting germs into the vagina.
• Some women can get thrush after taking antibiotics. If this is the case, you can ask your doctor for treatment for thrush at the same time.
• Avoid using vaginal deodorants, perfumed soaps, douches and disinfectants.

Thrush is not something you can catch from your partner, however, it can be triggered by sex.

If you think you have thrush or are worried about any infection, you can get treatment from your GP or by making an appointment at any one of our clinics, please call 0300 303 0251 (line open: Mon – Thurs: 8am–4:45pm and Fri: 8am–3:45pm).

A list of all clinic times and venues is on the Services page of this website.

NHS Health Scotland has produced a leaflet on Vaginal Health which gives more information on Thrush and this is available in several different languages.