WOMEN’S BODIES: SOME MYTHS ABOUT CANDIDA

March 12th, 2009

The Pill causes thrush

No, Candida albicans causes it. It used to be thought that the Pill caused changes in the vaginal environment (specifically, reduced acidity or increased glycogen) that could encourage overgrowth of Candida. It’s now known that the Pill by itself doesn’t significantly change the vaginal environment. Women on (or not on) the Pill who have quite severe thrush will have normal vaginal acidity as long as there is no bacterial infection present in addition to the Candida.

A possible explanation for the apparent increase in thrush among some Pill-takers (and most women get it no more frequently on than off the Pill) is that increased sexual activity may increase the risk of introducing infection from self or partner.

Thrash can be cured by locally applying or eating yoghurt

This belief arose from the notion that if lots of competition was provided in the form of the lactobacillus in yoghurt, it would clobber the Candida. However, the lactobacillus feeds on milk sugars only, and dies very quickly in the vagina and bowel, and on skin. That means it wouldn’t be around for long enough to provide competition for Candida.

Candidiasis is a modem disease

A side-effect of using antibiotics
Candida has been found in the tombs of ancient Egypt and was described as a cause of skin, vaginal and mouth infections in medical textbooks written well before the advent of antibiotics. It’s hard to know whether it causes infections in more people now than previously. People are certainly more prone to fungal infection while they’re taking broad-spectrum antibiotics, but not generally after the antibiotics are stopped unless they have continuing immune suppression through severe illness or if they’re receiving immune suppressant drugs to prevent rejection of organ transplants. Perhaps for some people, the stress of modern living increases susceptibility to all infections, including those that are fungal.

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