One Possible Reason for that Chronic Yeast Infection

Chronic yeast infection can be caused by any number of things. Antibiotics are always a possible cause and so are chemical allergies.

But maybe it is your love life that is causing that seemingly endless cycle of yeast infection!

This 2003 study of women confirmed results from earlier studies which indicated that there is a yeast infection-sex connection and that some types of sexual behavior can be a contributing factor in women with chronic yeast infection.

It seems that oral sex and masturbating with saliva are definite risk factors.

It is NOT the transference of the yeast itself that makes a woman more likely to develop this infection.

The finding of yeast on the woman's tongue or vulvovaginal area OR on her partner's tongue or semen did not mean that she was any more likely to develop yeast infection.

This same study also indicated that it was unlikely that the women were being reinfected from the yeast being introduced to them during intercourse.

The researchers did not find any correlation between antibiotic use, oral contraceptives or allergy history – all conditions that have been implicated in some studies.

A previous history of yeast infection made recurrence more likely but a history of bacterial vaginosis did not increase a women’s likelihood of developing yeast infection.

Could changing what you do in bed be a treatment for chronic yeast infections?

148 women with yeast infection (vaginal thrush) and 78 of their male sexual partners were studied. Within one year, 33 of the women had at least one more bout of yeast infection.

What dramatically increased her chance of frequent yeast infection was;

• recent masturbation using saliva as a lubricant

• recent cunnilingus (oral stimulation of her genital area)

• and - nothing to do with sex! -two or more servings of bread per day

Things such as age of first intercourse, number of sexual partners and the number of times she might have had either vaginal or anal intercourse in the preceding month, did not predict the likelihood of another yeast infection.

Dr Reed stated: "We're not saying that oral sex is a problem for everyone, but if a woman is experiencing recurrent yeast infections, those activities put her at an increased risk."

This is certainly useful to know. If you've noticed a connection between yeast infection and sex, then your suspicion is right. Possibly something as simple as using a lubricant rather than spit, might prevent chronic yeast infection in some women. Maybe try no oral sex for a while and see if that makes a difference.

Whether either the women or her partner was carrying the Candida organism anywhere on/in their bodies made no difference as to her chances of developing an infection. Even having Candida in the vagina did not mean the women was any more at risk of another run-in with yeast.

It was thought that the introduction of saliva to the vulvovaginal area can upset the balance between Candida species and the other organisms that made up the vaginal microflora and that this predisposed the woman to chronic yeast infection.

REFERENCES

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