Can you catch thrash from sex or from other people?
It’s possible but not very likely. If your sexual partner has Candida in his penis or around his fingernails it could be transferred to your genitals or vagina, where it could grow and cause inflammation if the circumstances are right.
If you have had sex when Candida is building up in your vagina, your partner will be carrying an excessive amount of Candida on the skin of his penis, even if he has no symptoms. He should be treated at the same time as you; otherwise you’re likely to become reinfected.
It’s also possible to pick up someone else’s Candida from sharing towels, underwear or swimwear.
Symptoms of Candida vaginitis
Thrush causes redness and swelling of the vaginal lining and a white milky or lumpy discharge that can be maddeningly itchy. The discharge has no particular smell. The inflammation often extends to the genital skin, which becomes red, swollen and tender to touch. Small splits in the skin can develop, which sting badly when wet (by urine or washing). Sex and inserting tampons are usually painful.
How can Candida be diagnosed?
Very easily. The appearance of the discharge and the vaginal walls is usually enough to arouse suspicion, which can be confirmed by a simple on-the-spot examination of the discharge under a microscope. The budding threads of the fungus are unmistakable, but if any doubt remains, Candida can be cultured in the laboratory.
Is Candida ever misdiagnosed? Yes, if the diagnosis is made only on the symptoms and without identifying the fungus, mistakes may be made. Many women consult their doctors saying ‘I have thrush again’ and are given a prescription for antifungal medication without being examined, when their symptoms may be due to other causes. And women with candidiasis that affects mainly the genital skin may have little or no discharge; the main symptom will be burning on passing urine. If they are not examined, the problem may be diagnosed incorrectly as cystitis and treated with antibiotics, which makes the candidiasis worse.
For correct diagnosis, the fungus must be seen under the microscope.
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