Thrush

To see a picture of Thrush please click here.

What is it?
Thrush is caused by a yeast. This is often present in the vagina but can multiply and cause symptoms.

Symptoms

There may be one or more symptoms including:

Women

• Itching soreness and redness around the vagina, vulva or anus
• A thick, white discharge from the vagina that looks like cottage cheese and smells yeasty
• Pain when you have sex
• Pain when you pass urine (pee)

Men

• Irritation, burning or itching under the foreskin or on the tip of the penis
• A redness, or red patches, under the foreskin or on the tip of the penis
• A thick, cheesy discharge under the foreskin
• Difficulty in pulling back the foreskin

Caused by  

Is not necessarily transmitted sexually.  It is caused by a yeast that normally lives harmlessly on the skin, or in the mouth, gut and vagina, without causing any problems.

Treatment

Treatment for thrush is easy.  A cream is applied to the external genital area and women may be given pessaries to insert into the vagina using a special applicator.  Oral anti-thrush tablets are now available.