Yes, saliva can transmit the Candida fungus that causes yeast infections (thrush), especially through intimate contact like kissing or oral sex, but you'll usually only develop an infection if you have risk factors (like a weakened immune system, antibiotics, or diabetes) that disrupt your natural microbial balance, allowing the yeast to overgrow. While you can catch the fungus from a partner with thrush, it's the underlying imbalance, not just the saliva itself, that triggers the infection.
If the person giving oral sex has a lot of yeast in their mouth, like with oral thrush, it might get passed along to the genital area. Plus, saliva can sometimes throw off the natural pH balance of the vagina, creating an optimal environment for yeast to grow.
Yes, thrush (Candida) can cause headaches, either from the infection itself (especially sinus involvement or systemic spread in weakened immune systems) or as a side effect from antifungal medications used to treat it, with symptoms like sinus pressure or general fatigue often linked to headaches.
You can also get a yeast infection or oral thrush from having oral, vaginal, or anal sex with someone who has a yeast infection. For example, if you perform oral sex on someone who has a genital yeast infection, you're at risk of developing oral thrush.
Infection can occur when infected blood and saliva come into direct contact with someone else's bloodstream or mucous membranes. (Mucous membranes line various body cavities including the mouth and nose.) A person is more likely to be infected when kissing if they have open sores in or around the mouth.
Saliva also contains many antimicrobial factors for oral protection and, when present in the vaginal environment, can affect microbial growth. With the vaginal microbiome being highly sensitive to changes, each of these introductions has the potential to lead to BV.
It is also possible to develop a yeast infection following oral sex. A person's mouth and saliva can introduce bacteria to the vaginal area.
As a form of nonpenetrative sex, kissing is often considered a safer sex practice because it carries a much lower risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and diseases (STDs) when compared to other activities like oral sex.
You develop other symptoms such as rash, fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, lower abdominal, back or shoulder pain. You have foul-smelling or greenish-grayish vaginal discharge.
Are there any other conditions that can mimic thrush?
Possible Complications
If your immune system is weakened, Candida can spread throughout your body, causing a serious infection. This infection might affect your: Brain (meningitis)
The short answer: no, bacterial vaginosis is not a sexually transmitted infection (though it does have a relationship with sex); therefore, you do not need to worry about your partner being unfaithful if you have BV. Let's take a little closer look at this uncomfortable condition and some other myths surrounding it.
Sex can throw off your pH balance and is one of the most common causes. That's because unprotected sex can have a two-fold effect on the vaginal pH balance. Firstly, sperm is more alkaline than the natural acidity of the vagina and the presence of semen during sex can temporarily alter the natural pH balance.
Recurring yeast infections after sex with the same partner can happen for several reasons. Friction during intercourse, exposure to semen (which can alter vaginal pH), or even sensitivities to condoms, lubricants, or personal care products can disrupt the natural vaginal balance and trigger yeast overgrowth.
A kiss with the tongue stimulates the partner's lips, tongue and mouth, which are sensitive to the touch and induce sexual arousal. The sensation when two tongues touch—also known as tongue touching—has been proven to stimulate endorphin release and reduce acute stress levels.
Just like many other areas in marriage, sex and its frequency also require compromise. But studies show that a weekly frequency is good enough to keep your marriage happy.
For most females, the most sensitive and important erogenous zone is the clitoris. Many females require clitoral stimulation to orgasm. For some, stimulation of the G-spot may indirectly stimulate the clitoris or its roots, which extend into the vaginal wall.
A yeast infection is usually harmless, but irritating, and can last anywhere from a few days to two weeks for more severe infections. Mild yeast infections can go away on their own, but it is always recommended to seek treatment regardless of the severity of the infection to prevent it from coming back.
For some, semen can throw off vaginal pH, making yeast overgrowth more likely. It's not a direct cause, but it can create an environment where yeast infections are more common.
BV can be spread through sharing of sex toys, oral-genital contact, and fingers. Other risk factors for BV include douching and cigarette smoking. Options to reduce the risk of BV include regularly using condoms, washing sex toys after every use, and using hormonal contraception (if appropriate).
Yep. A high abundance of Candida is directly correlated with infection. If you engage in oral sex with someone who has a yeast infection, you introduce high amounts of Candida into your mouth. This high abundance can disturb your oral microbiome leading to oral thrush (aka a yeast infection).