Yeast Infections; Facts to Know

Seventy-five percent of women are likely to have at least one yeast infection during their lifetime; up to 45 percent have two or more.

Vaginal yeast infections are the second most common cause of abnormal vaginal discharge in the U.S. (the first is bacterial vaginosis).

Yeast infections are quite common during pregnancy, perhaps due to a chemical change in the vaginal environment. Essentially, there is more sugar in the vaginal secretions, which feeds the yeast. For the same reason, yeast infections are also more common in women with diabetes.

About 5 percent of women with vaginal yeast infections develop recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC), defined as four or more symptomatic vaginal yeast infections in a 12-month period. Most women with RVVC have no underlying medical illness that would predispose them to recurrent candida infections.

A woman's vagina normally produces a discharge described as clear or slightly cloudy, non-irritating and odor-free. During the normal menstrual cycle, the amount and consistency of discharge may vary.

Douching disrupts the balance of normal bacteria in the vagina and can cause more frequent vaginal infections.

Vaginal yeast infections can clear up without treatment. However, there is a small chance that if you don't treat a yeast infection, you may develop a more severe pelvic infection.

Treatment sexual partners for your yeast infection is usually not recommended, since it's not clear if vaginal yeast infections are transmitted sexually. However, if a woman has recurrent infections and her male sex partner shows symptoms of candida balanitis--redness, irritation and/or itching at the tip of the penis--he may need to be treated with an antifungal cream or ointment.

Medications cure 80 percent to 90 percent of vaginal yeast infections within two weeks or less, often within a few days.

Take antibiotics only when prescribed by your health care professional and never take them for more or less time than directed. In addition to destroying bacteria that cause illness, antibiotics kill off the "good" bacteria that normally live in the vagina. Stopping treatment early, even when symptoms have improved, can cause infections to return and make them resistant to the medication.