Vaginal Yeast Infection During Pregnancy
Overview
If you are pregnant and have vaginal infection symptoms, see your doctor. Do not use nonprescription yeast infection medicine unless you discuss it with your doctor first. Experts recommend that during pregnancy: footnote 1
- Vaginal medicines should be used for yeast infection treatment. These may be vaginal creams or suppositories.
- Only certain medicines should be used. Nonprescription medicines include butoconazole (such as Femstat), clotrimazole (such as Gyne-Lotrimin), miconazole (such as Monistat), and terconazole (such as Terazol).
- Treatment should be used for 7 days. (It can take longer than usual to cure a yeast infection during pregnancy.)
Don't assume that your symptoms are caused by a harmless yeast infection. If you have bacterial vaginosis or a sexually transmitted infection (STI), such as gonorrhea or chlamydia, you will need treatment to prevent problems during pregnancy.
Vaginal yeast infections are a common problem during pregnancy. They may be caused by high estrogen levels. These infections aren't a risk to the pregnancy. But they can cause uncomfortable symptoms.
References
Citations
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2015). Sexually transmitted diseases treatment guidelines, 2015. MMWR, 64(RR-03): 1–137. http://www.cdc.gov/std/tg2015. Accessed July 2, 2015. [Erratum in MMWR, 64(33): 924. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6433a9.htm?s_cid=mm6433a9_w. Accessed January 25, 2016.]
Current as of: August 2, 2022
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:Kathleen Romito MD - Family Medicine & Martin J. Gabica MD - Family Medicine & Deborah A. Penava BA, MD, FRCSC, MPH - Obstetrics and Gynecology