ABSTRACT
Candida albicans or ‘thrush’ is the most common infective cause of a vaginal discharge and vulvo-vaginal irritation. It usually causes a thick white discharge and intense itching, which may be so severe that the vulval skin becomes excoriated. The causative fungal infection is usually spread from the woman’s own bowel, where it is a normal inhabitant, but it may be introduced during sexual intercourse from the penis, fingers or mouth. The spread of the organism is favoured by changes in the vaginal environment, either of an alteration in the acidity of the vagina, or a change in the normal bacterial population of the vagina. This later frequently occurs because of antibiotics taken for some other infection but sometimes after vaginal douching, especially when antiseptic solutions are used.
