- With Mayo Clinic gynecologist and obstetrician
Mary Gallenberg, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Mary Gallenberg, M.D.
Mary Gallenberg, M.D.
Dr. Mary Gallenberg is board certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and by the American Board of Internal Medicine in internal medicine and medical oncology. She is credentialed as a menopause practitioner by the North American Menopause Society.
An Antigo, Wis., native, Dr. Gallenberg is a consultant in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., and an assistant professor at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
Dr. Gallenberg has been with Mayo Clinic since 1990. She was on the Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource editorial board and has been honored for excellence in teaching. She also won a Mayo Clinic Excellence Through Teamwork award.
Lifestyle and home remedies (1)
- Sex during vaginal infection: Is it OK?
Alternative medicine (1)
- Vaginal yeast infections: Are home remedies effective?
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Question
Sex during vaginal infection: Is it OK?
Is it OK to have sex if I have a vaginal infection?
Answer
from Mary Gallenberg, M.D.
That depends on the cause of your vaginal infection. Medically speaking, it's OK to have sex when you have a vaginal infection (vaginitis) if your symptoms aren't caused by a sexually transmitted disease. But what it really comes down to is a matter of your comfort — intercourse might be quite uncomfortable or even painful if you have an active vaginal infection.
The most common causes of vaginal infection are:
- Yeast infection (candidiasis)
- Bacterial vaginosis
- Trichomoniasis
Yeast infections and most cases of bacterial vaginosis aren't sexually transmitted. Avoiding intercourse won't help your infection clear any sooner. However, trichomoniasis is usually sexually transmitted. In that case, it's a good idea to avoid intercourse until you and your partner have completed treatment and your symptoms have cleared to minimize your risk of reinfection.
Next questionVaginal yeast infections: Are home remedies effective?
- Gallenberg MM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Jan. 6, 2009.
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Vaginitis. Obstetrics & Gynecology. 2006;107:1195.
- Sobel JD. Trichomonas vaginalis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 29, 2008.
