About Thrush — SH.UK

On this page

What is Thrush?

Thrush is the term for a common infection caused by a yeast that lives in warm, moist areas of the body.

Thrush can develop in different areas of the body. This information is about thrush affecting the vagina, penis and skin around the anus and genitals.
Thrush is not a sexually transmitted infection (STI) but it can sometimes be triggered by sex. The yeast that causes thrush lives inside all of us.
Thrush is much more common in women, but men can get it too.
Thrush is easy to treat and cure, but some people get it lots of times.

Thrush Symptoms

Anyone can get thrush, including people who have never been sexually active.

Not everyone with thrush gets noticeable signs or symptoms.

Thrush in Women

About 3 out of 4 people with a vagina will get thrush at some point.

You may notice:

Itching, irritation, redness or cracked skin in or around the vagina and vulva.
Vaginal discharge that is unusual for you. Thrush discharge is often white and thick or lumpy, a bit like cottage cheese. It does not usually have a strong smell but may smell yeasty. If the area is really inflamed, discharge my sometimes be yellow or green.
Pain when weeing.
Pain when having sex.

Other infections can also cause a strong-smelling discharge - likeBV or trichomoniasis. It's possible to have these on their own or at the same time as having thrush.

Thrush in Men

Symptoms may include:

Itching, irritation, redness or red spots or cracked skin at the tip of the penis or under the foreskin.
Discharge from under the foreskin. Discahrge is often white and thick or lumpy, a bit like cottage cheese. It does not usually have a strong smell but may smell yeasty.
Pain when weeing.
Pain when having sex.
Difficulty pulling back the foreskin or a swollen red foreskin.

Thrush tests and check-ups

There's no need to test for thrush if you don't have any symptoms.

If you have symptoms that might be thrush, you can get checked at a sexual health clinic or GP surgery.

They:

Will ask about your symptoms.
May look at your vulva or your penis.
May swab inside your vagina or swab the penis skin to get a sample of discharge to look at under a microscope or send to the lab. You may have the option to take your own swab.

Results are sometimes ready straight away but can take up to 2 weeks.

Some pharmacies sell over-the-counter home thrush tests. The accuracy of these can vary.

If you have thrush, you don’t need an STI check-up unless you think you may have been exposed to any STIs or you have any other symptoms.

If you do want to test for STIs it's easy and quick to get tested with a home self-sampling kit from SH.UK. When to test for STIs.

Test for other sexual health related conditions at home with SH.UK's self-sample test kit

Get a free self-sample test kit delivered to your door. Take a self sample and return via freepost. Access your results online within a week. Check to see if SH.UK offers NHS funded home test kits in your area.

Find your local services

Will recommend to everyone who needs a Sexual Health Test and treatment. "Derek"

Thrush Treatment

Thrush can be treated and cured with antifungal treatment.

Thrush treatments is free from a sexual health clinic. You may need to pay a prescription charge if you get treatment from you GP.

Different treatments include:

Antifungal tablets that you swallow.
Vaginal pessaries (tablets you put in your vagina).
Antifungal cream to put on the affected area.

If you think you have thrush you can buy over-the-counter thrush treatment from a pharmacy if you prefer and see if this makes it go away.

Tell your healthcare professional or pharmacist if you're pregnant or breastfeeding so they can give you suitable treatment.

Some people prefer to avoid sex until symptoms have improved or gone.

If you do have sex, be aware that creams and pessaries may damage latex condoms and stop them working. It's safe to use non-latex condoms.

Will thrush go away on its own?

If thrush is not treated, it usually goes away on its own.

Treatment is advised to help with symptoms and to clear the thrush more quickly.

How long does thrush last for?

For most people, symptoms improve a few days after starting treatment and the thrush is cured in 1 to 2 weeks.

You don’t need another check-up unless the thrush doesn’t go away or you think you have thrush again.

Sometimes you may need to repeat the treatment or have more than one type of treatment before the thrush goes away.

Recurrent Thrush

It’s common to get thrush more than once. If you get thrush 4 or more times in a year, it’s called recurrent thrush. Some people who get recurrent thrush might have a slightly different type of yeast which can be harder to treat.

If you get recurrent thrush, don’t try to treat it with over-the-counter treatment. Go to a sexual health clinic or GP surgery to get checked.

They need to examine you and do a test to confirm that it is actually thrush and not another problem. If it is thrush, they may suggest taking antifungal treatment for up to 6 months to help the thrush clear up and stay away.

They can also help you work out if anything is triggering the thrush.

Do I have to tell anyone if I have thrush?

Thrush isn’t an STI, so you don’t need to tell current or recent partners or avoid sex unless you want to.

If a partner has symptoms of thrush, they can go to a pharmacist, GP surgery or sexual health clinic for treatment.

What causes thrush?

Most cases of thrush are caused by a yeast called Candida Albicans.

It usually lives harmlessly in the gut and on warm, moist areas of the body, but if it grows too much it can cause thrush symptoms.

Thrush can develop in anyone, but you’re more likely to get it if you:

Are pregnant
Have taken antibiotics in the 3 months.
Have a condition that affects your immune system.
Are taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

Thrush is not an STI, but sex may trigger thrush for some people. Very rarely, thrush may be passed from one sexual partner to another, but this is usually just when someone with a penis gets the yeast under their foreskin.

How can I avoid getting thrush?

For some people, thrush keeps coming back.

It may help to:

Avoid products that can cause irritation, like perfumed soaps, wipes bath products and period products or genital deodorants and sprays.
Use a soap substitute instead of shower gel or soap.
Wash your genitals only with water, unperfumed soap or soap substitute, and clean hands.
Avoid washing inside the vagina or using vaginal douches.
After washing, dry your genital area thoroughly.
Wear cotton underwear and avoid tights and tight underwear, jeans or trousers.
Avoid using panty liners every day.

If you get thrush 4 or more times in a year, it’s called recurrent thrush – see above.

Is thrush serious?

Thrush can be annoying and uncomfortable but it’s not dangerous and is unlikely to cause any serious problems or complications.

Other information about thrush

Reviewed by Dr John White on 12th Aug 2026.