If You're Thinking About Having Sex With A Yeast Infection, Here Are 4 Convincing Reasons Not To

The vagina is a delicate ecosystem that can easily become unbalanced by several factors: your period, sex, soap, sweat, a new detergent. And when your pH goes haywire, you know things like UTIs, BV, and yeast infections will come soon thereafter. But have you ever wondered to yourself: Can you have sex with a yeast infection? Because with the frequency with which women get them (and let's admit, you can get them pretty frequently), it's something I'm sure we've all considered.

And, beyond considering, I'm going to admit to you that I have boned while baking bread down there (sorry, that was gross). And when I brought up this topic in a group text with my friends, half of them had, too. We all reported that it was an absolutely not fun, pleasureless experience that only intensified and prolonged symptoms — not to mention didn't satiate an ounce of horniness.

So if you are somehow still considering sex despite having itchiness, swelling, and a cottage cheese-like discharge, here are some reasons why you should not have sex with a yeast infection. Because apparently this is not common knowledge, and we need to read articles to tell us not to.

You Can Spread It To Your Partner

While not an STI, yeast infections can spread through intercourse, and you don't want to intentionally give someone you love (or think is hot) an itchy penis or vagina, now do you? According to The Office Of Women's Health, "about 15 percent of men get an itchy rash on the penis if they have unprotected sex with a woman who has a yeast infection."

And while the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services suggests using condoms or dental dams should you want to have sex while fighting off a yeast infection, keep in mind that if you're using an insertable cream treatment method, sex might just "push the medication out," gynecologist Rosanna Gray-Swain, M.D. explained to Everyday Health.

It Will Hurt More

"Yeast infections can cause inflammation, irritation, and itching on vaginal tissue," Alyssa Dweck, M.D., assistant clinical professor at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, explained to Women's Health. This does not seem like the ideal environment to be having sex to me, right? Ouch.

The one time I did have sex with a yeast infection, it was because I knew my boyfriend at the time really wanted to, despite my discomfort. I felt like I owed him something, so I sacrificed my own health and pleasure to make him happy. Sounds like a bad decision, right?

It's plain and simple: If you, or your vagina, are not feeling up to it, you don't have to have sex. A yeast infection is a perfectly good reason for that.

You Can Catch STDs Easier

Will having sex with a yeast infection automatically give you an STD? No. But gynecologist Rosanna Gray-Swain explained to Everyday Health that “if there are scratches on the vulva, this can increase the risk of an STD infection."

As we all know, a yeast infection gives you an itchy vag, and if you itch too hard, it'll probs lead to a scratch. Additionally, a yeast infection can throw off the lubrication in your vagina, which, during sex, can lead to some internal tearing as well if you're not careful.

So if sex with a yeast infection is not only an uncomfortable experience, but can also potentially lead to an increased risk of STD transmission, then maybe it's a good idea to pass and just wait until you feel better, right? I mean, how horny can you be with an itchy, swollen vagina and cottage cheese discharge anyway?

The Medication Isn't Exactly Sexy

Need I say more about that thick, white cream you have to insert up your vagina?

So if you're thinking about having sex while you're battling yeast infection, how about don't? Just wait it out, you horny freak. It'll only be about a week until your vag is back to normal, and then sex will be better for both you and your partner.

I promise.

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