Is it harmful to have sex if I have a vaginal infection?

Answer From Tatnai Burnett, M.D.

Having sex when you have a vaginal infection or vaginal inflammation may be uncomfortable and might make your symptoms worse. If the source of your infection is a sexually transmitted infection, you may also spread the infection to your partner. If you have chronic yeast infections (candidiasis), confirmed by a doctor, you may have sex without concern for worsening symptoms as long as you're comfortable.

The most common causes of vaginal infection are:

  • Yeast infection (candidiasis)
  • Bacterial vaginosis
  • Trichomoniasis

Yeast infections and bacterial vaginosis aren't sexually transmitted infections, but having new sexual partners increases the risk of bacterial vaginosis.

However, trichomoniasis is a sexually transmitted infection. To prevent possible reinfection, wait to have intercourse until you and your partner complete treatment and you no longer have symptoms.

With

Tatnai Burnett, M.D.

From Mayo Clinic to your inbox

Sign up for free and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips, current health topics, and expertise on managing health. Click here for an email preview.

To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail.

Feb. 08, 2022 See more Expert Answers