Can having a yeast infection affect a pregnancy test

Yeast Infection During Pregnancy

What is a Yeast Infection During Pregnancy?

Yeast infections (also known as candidiasis) are common in women, especially when you're pregnant. Increased estrogen in your pregnant body can throw off the normal balance of yeast and bacteria in your vagina. This may let the yeast overgrow. Most yeast infections during pregnancy result from the fungus candida albicans. Two other kinds of yeast that can also cause them are candida glabrata and candida tropicalis.

Yeast infections aren't pleasant, but they won't hurt you or your baby. And they can be safely treated, usually with a topical cream.

Symptoms of a Yeast Infection During Pregnancy

You might notice:

  • Itching
  • Burning
  • Redness or swelling in your vulva, the area outside your vagina.
  • Thick, white vaginal discharge that looks like cottage cheese.

Causes of a Yeast Infection During Pregnancy

  • Taking antibiotics, which can cause that can change the balance of yeast and bacteria in your vagina.
  • Diabetes that isn’t well controlled
  • Conditions like HIV or medications, like corticosteroids that make it harder for your immune system to work well.
  • If your sexual partner has a yeast infection, it can be passed to you during vaginal sex.

Treating a Yeast Infection During Pregnancy

It's safe to treat a yeast infection with over-the-counter (OTC) vaginal creams or suppositories that contain miconazole or clotrimazole. 

Don’t take an oral fluconazole tablet to treat a yeast infection during pregnancy. It may cause birth defects.

If you think you have a yeast infection, call your doctor before using over-the-counter medications to treat it.

Preventing a Yeast Infection During Pregnancy:

  • Wear cotton underwear and pantyhose with a cotton crotch to keep your vaginal area dry and let it "breathe."
  • Always wipe from front to back after you go to the bathroom.
  • Don't douche. It can upset the balance in your vagina. In late pregnancy, it may also cause your water to break.
  • Avoid tight pants and pantyhose.
  • Change out of a wet swimsuit or sweats immediately. This keeps the genital area dry.
  • Avoid toilet paper, feminine sprays, bubble bath, and sanitary pads that are scented.
  • Keep good control of your blood sugar if you have diabetes.
  • Eat yogurt with live cultures; some research suggests this can help.

Published on July 2, 2015

Q: Can a yeast infection affect my ability to get pregnant?

A: Having had one or more yeast infections should have no impact on your fertility, but you may have trouble getting pregnant while you currently have one. It is possible that the same germ-fighting white blood cells that your immune system sends to help battle the yeast infection may also inadvertently destroy your partner's sperm, which can make getting pregnant more difficult.

Most yeast infections are easily treated with over-the-counter medications or the prescription pill Diflucan, and usually clear up in a week or less. But if the infection doesn't go away after you've completed the medication, you should go to see your doctor. It's easy to mistake yeast infection symptoms for something else, especially if you don't get them very often. And some other infections that have similar signs -- like chlamydia, gonorrhea, and bacterial vaginosis -- can cause fertility problems if left untreated.

Copyright 2009

Answered by Parents.com-Team

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A 39-year-old member asked:

Can yeast infection and urine infection affect the pregnancy test results......?

Can having a yeast infection affect a pregnancy test

Family Medicine 58 years experience

Yeast &urine inf pre: No it will notaffect the pregnancy test.

Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.

5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago

Can having a yeast infection affect a pregnancy test

A Verified Doctoranswered

Shouldn't: Neither should affect the protein the pregnancy tests are detecting. Also, the information packet with my in-house pregnancy tests does not list eith... Read More

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5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago

A 41-year-old member asked:

Does yeast infection make pregnancy test negative?

Can having a yeast infection affect a pregnancy test

Psychiatry 26 years experience

No: It will not cause false positive or false negative test result.

Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.

4.8k viewsAnswered >2 years ago

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Can a yeast infection cause a false positive?

A false report of yeast +1 to 3+/HPF was found in 51 samples (0.9%) (False positives). There were 8 cases with positive for yeast from both microscopic methods (True positives).

Can a yeast infection cause a false negative?

Experts estimate that microscopic examination gives false-negative results in up to half of patients. These patients test negative during a microscopic evaluation and are later proven to have a vaginal yeast infection after a culture test.

Can an infection affect a pregnancy test?

In addition, although extremely rare, a urinary tract infection or kidney disease can also signal a false positive on a pregnancy test.

Can a UTI or yeast infection affect a pregnancy test?

Serious urinary tract infections (with high levels of WBC, RBC and nitrite) can occasionally cause a false positive pregnancy test result. Ectopic pregnancies typically produce lower levels of hCG than normal preganancies. This will be accentuated by the dilution effect in urine.