| If you currently have something strange going on | | | | called tricomoniasis, and by the STD's called |
| in your genital area, you may have a common | | | | Chlamydia and Gonorrhea. All these infections |
| type of infection. Yeast and bacteria are the usual | | | | must be treated by your doctor. If you have a |
| suspects, and the symptoms of these different | | | | vaginal discharge along with a fever, nausea, chills, |
| types of infection are so similar that it is often | | | | upset stomach or vomiting, and/or abdominal pain, |
| difficult to make a proper diagnosis without your | | | | you may have a much more serious type of |
| doctor's help. Making the wrong diagnosis could put | | | | infection. Yeast does not cause these symptoms. |
| your health in danger. Yeast infections are usually | | | | You may have a kidney infection, appendicitis or |
| quite harmless, even though they itch and often | | | | pelvic inflammatory disease, and urgent or |
| cause an irritating discharge. Unless your immune | | | | emergency care may be needed. Get yourself to |
| system is compromised, you have little to fear | | | | a doctor. Are male infections easier to diagnose? |
| from a yeast infection, other than the temporary | | | | Not necessarily. A male yeast infection shows up |
| discomfort. Bacterial infections, on the other hand, | | | | as an itching, red rash on the penis. The rash will |
| are considerably more serious. Some can be | | | | look red and flat, with sharp scalloped edges. You |
| sexually transmitted to your partner, and some | | | | may see small pustules around the edges of the |
| can cause damage to your reproductive organs, | | | | rash, and it may itch or burn. A rash around the |
| resulting in infertility. You can see, then, why it's | | | | anus may be white or red, and will itch. Men who |
| so important to know if you infection is from | | | | have a thin whitish discharge from the penis with |
| yeast of one of the more dangerous germs. | | | | pain or burning during urination may have |
| Symptoms of a vaginal yeast infection are: | | | | Tricomonas or Gonorrhea. You don't want either |
| • Itching and burning in the vagina and | | | | of these infections, and you certainly don't want |
| around the vulva • A white vaginal | | | | to share them with your partners, so head over |
| discharge. It may look like cottage cheese, and | | | | to your doctor's office or clinic for proper care. |
| may smell like bakers' yeast or beer • | | | | The symptoms often go away on their own, but |
| Pain during sexual intercourse • Swelling | | | | the infection is still there, causing internal damage |
| of the vulva Unfortunately, symptoms of bacterial | | | | and waiting to infect your next partner. Yeast |
| vaginosis are almost exactly the same. The | | | | infections are so common that we often assume |
| discharge may smell fishy instead of yeasty, and | | | | that our discharge, itching, pain or rash is being |
| may be stronger after sex or after washing with | | | | caused by yeast, but remember that if you do |
| soap. You will also itch or burn, and the discharge | | | | have an infection yeast may not be causing it. It's |
| can be either white, gray or yellow. Other | | | | always safest to see your doctor so you can |
| infections that can have very similar symptoms | | | | know for sure. |
| are caused by the sexually transmitted parasite | | | | |