Womens yeast infection from oral sex

Ijust wrote a piece about helping women get over their hang-ups on receivingoral sex. One of the e-mails I've gotten in response asked a question thatstumped me. A man said that he and his wife have noticed that she tends todevelop yeast infections after he's gone down on her, and I've actually had asimilar experience with a previous partner. His question was about what to do. Any suggestions on what's causing it or what he can do to make his mouth moreoral friendly?

I'm 14 and still a virgin, but my boyfriend fingers me and gives me oral sex. For a couple of weeks, my vagina has been itchy and red, and it hurts when I touch it. I don't feel comfortable talking to my mom about this. What should I do? Friction and pressure from fingering or oral sex can cause irritation in the sensitive genital area.

Oral thrush and vaginal yeast infections are both caused by a naturally occurring fungus known as Candida albicans. The conditions referred to respectively as oral candidiasis and vaginal candidiasis , occur when a breakdown of the immune system provides the fungus an opportunity to thrive. Both are characterized by the appearance of creamy white lesions that can bleed if rubbed or scraped. Given that candidiasis involves both the mouth and vagina, it may seem reasonable to assume that the fungus can be "caught" or "passed" during oral sex. The evidence of this remains split, with some studies suggesting a risk in women but not men, while others conclude that the risk, if any, is negligible.

That said, the timing may also be a coincidence. Your yeast infection may have been triggered by a number of other factors. Read on to learn more about why this happens, other potential causes, treatment options, and more.