• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
National Coalition for Sexual Health (NCSH)
  • Contact Us
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Goals & Values
    • Our Members
    • Staff
    • Contact Us
  • Learn About Sexual Health
    • What is Sexual Health?
    • Audience Profiles
    • Research Products
  • Sexual Health Resources
    • For the Public
      • Quiz: How’s Your Sexual Health?
      • A Guide to Sexual Concerns and Pleasure
      • Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Testing: More Than Just Genitals
      • Sexual Health Quick Tips
      • Take Charge of Your Sexual Health: What you need to know about preventive services
        • What Are Preventive Sexual Health Services?
          • Preventive Services for Transgender & Gender-Expansive Individuals
          • Preventive Services for People with a Vagina/Vulva
          • Preventive Services for People with a Penis
        • What is Good Sexual Health and How Do I Achieve It?
        • How Can I Talk with My Health Care Provider About Sexual Health?
          • What Types of Health Care Providers Address Sexual Health?
          • What to Look for in a Sexual Health Care Provider
          • How Do I Bring Up the Topic?
          • What Kinds of Questions Should I Ask?
          • What Questions Might My Health Care Provider Ask Me?
        • Resources
          • Affordable Care Act Coverage
          • Where Can I Learn More?
            • Finding a Provider or Clinic
            • HIV, STIs, and Viral Hepatitis
            • Intimate Partner Violence
            • Contraceptives
            • Teens & Young Adults
            • Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender
            • Older Adults
      • Mpox Vaccine: Promotion Materials Toolkit
      • Five Action Steps to Good Sexual Health
        • Value Who You Are and Decide What’s Right For You
        • Get Smart About Your Body and Protect It
        • Treat Your Partners Well and Expect Them to Treat You Well
        • Build Positive Relationships
        • Make Sexual Health Part of Your Health Care Routine
      • Talking with the Public about Sexual Health Message Frameworks
    • For Providers
      • Clinician Guide for Trauma-Informed Care
      • Inclusive Sexual Health Services: Practical Guidelines for Providers & Clinics
      • A New Approach to Sexual History Taking: A Video Series
      • Sexual Health and Your Patients: A Provider’s Guide
      • Sexual Health Questions to Ask All Patients
      • Sexual Health and Your Patients: Pocket Cards
      • Compendium of Sexual & Reproductive Health Resources for Healthcare Providers
      • Mpox Vaccine: Promotion Materials Toolkit
      • Take Charge of Your Sexual Health: What you need to know about preventive services
      • Talking with the Public about Sexual Health: Message Frameworks
    • Promotional Materials
  • Recursos en Español
    • Tome el control de su salud sexual
    • Consejos rápidos sobre la salud sexual
    • Gráficos para compartir
    • Preguntas sobre la salud sexual para todos los pacientes
  • Media
    • Sexual Health in the News
    • News Archive
    • Media Inquiries
    • Press Releases
  • Get Involved
    • Social Media Campaign
    • Shareable Graphics
    • Joining the Coalition

Media Center

Could A Yeast Infection Be An Early Sign Of This Common Disease?

Nov 07, 2017   ·  Prevention   ·  Link to Article

Other News This Week

Yeast infections happen. They’re itchy, icky, and uncomfortable. At least they're usually easy to treat, either with a course of over-the-counter cream or prescription medication (or these highly effective yeast infection solutions). But what if they keep coming back?

“Yeast infections, or candidiasis, are incredibly common: More than half of women will have at least one in their lifetime,” says Katharine O'Connell White, MD, director of fellowship in family planning at Boston Medical Center. But there's a big difference between getting that gross cottage cheese-like discharge occasionally and having to run to the drugstore (or your doctor's office) several times a year.

If you're in the chronic camp, there's a chance that your yeast infections could be a sign of something more serious. One possibility: diabetes. Candida albicans, the fungus responsible for a yeast infection, normally lives in the vagina in small amounts. It typically won't hurt you, but it flourishes when there's excess sugar available, says Anita Somani, MD, an ob-gyn at Comprehensive Women’s Care in Columbus, Ohio.

If you have undiagnosed (and untreated) diabetes—or if you know you have diabetes but it's poorly-controlled—your vaginal secretions are likely to contain excess sugar. And when yeast in your vagina has access to that sugar, the yeast begins to take over and cause an infection, Somani explains.

Chances are frequent yeast infections won't be your only sign of diabetes; you might also feel extra thirsty, more tired than usual, or have blurry vision. But when in doubt, ask your doctor for a blood test to check your glucose levels—especially if other vaginal infections like bacterial vaginosis (bv) and STDs have already been ruled out.

If a patient comes to White with a recurrent yeast infection, her first step is to consider what she calls “yeast look-alikes," which include bv, trichomonas, chlamydia, and gonorrhea. (Here are 5 common reasons for vaginal itching other than a yeast infection—and 5 products that help.) Yeast infections can also sometimes be a sign of HIV: The body is weakened by the virus, which in turn allows yeast to increase and infect the vaginal membranes, Somani says.

Bottom line: If the itchy infection doesn't go away or keeps coming back, call your doctor and get it sorted out.

News Archives

  • Sexual Health in the News
  • News Archive
  • Media Inquiries
  • Press Releases
NCSH Fact Sheet

Media Inquiries

For general media inquiries about sexual health topics and/or to schedule an interview with one of our experts, please contact Susan Gilbert, NCSH Co-Director, at 
susan.gilbert@altarum.org

Get the News in Your Inbox

Footer

  • Five Action Steps to Good Sexual Health

    Go to Website
  • Take Charge of Your Sexual Health

    All about preventive services (English and Spanish) Go to Website

    Go to Website
  • COVID-19 and Sexual Health

    Practical advice to help you protect your sexual health Go to Website

    Go to Website

It’s about honesty. It’s about knowledge. It’s about time.

  • Home
  • About
  • What is Sexual Health?
  • For the Public
  • For Providers
  • Recursos en Español
  • Media
  • Get Involved
  • Contact Us
Copyright © · National Coalition for Sexual Health · All Rights Reserved

Privacy Policy Accessibility Statement Sitemap

iHealthspot Medical Website Design and Medical Marketing by iHealthSpot.com