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What causes thrush in men and is it transmitted from a woman?
Last reviewed: 05.07.2025
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Thrush in men is rare. It mainly affects men with reduced immunity, impaired metabolism, and impaired and altered hormonal levels. It requires mandatory treatment, as it entails a number of inconveniences, leads to serious consequences and complications, and can also cause infection of the partner.
Cause
The first and most basic reason for the development of thrush, both in men and women, is dysbacteriosis. This is a violation of the normal state of the microflora of the urogenital tract, which entails the development of pathogenic bacterial microflora, or the addition of a fungal infection. Dysbacteriosis can occur if representatives of the normal microflora die, and their place is taken by representatives of pathogenic and opportunistic microflora, which begin to actively and uncontrollably reproduce.
Reduced immunity, vitamin deficiency, and poor nutrition are the main factors that contribute to microflora disruption. This is usually facilitated by the body's innate characteristics. Dysbacteriosis often develops after prolonged use of antibiotics, against the background of chemotherapy. The cause may also be a disruption of the normal state of the endocrine system, changes in hormonal levels, decreased reactivity of local immunity, and a system of nonspecific immunoresistance.
Risk factors
The risk group primarily includes people with immune system disorders. Also at significant risk are people who suffer from frequent colds and infectious diseases, are forced to be treated with antibiotics, and take certain medications for a long time. The risk of developing thrush also increases in people who are carriers of various viruses, especially those that can affect the immune system and exhibit tropism for immune system cells.
HIV infection, cancer, tumors, various serious diseases also contribute to the development of thrush. Chemotherapy is the factor that entails the development of thrush. Thrush can also be transmitted from a partner suffering from this disease.
The risk also increases in people who eat poorly, who lack vitamins and microelements. The risk group includes people who abuse alcohol, have chronic diseases. Frequent change of sexual partners, the presence of sexually transmitted infections, and a violation of the condition of the mucous membranes. It is also necessary to take into account the role of active and latent infections in the development of thrush. In some cases, allergic reactions can cause the development of thrush. Allergies can cause itching.
[ Pathogenesis
The pathogenesis is based on the disruption of normal microflora. This occurs against the background of reduced immunity. All this leads to the fact that the condition of the mucous membranes of the genitals changes significantly. The amount of normal microflora decreases, and pathogenic microflora develops in its place. Most often, this is a fungal infection of the genus Candida, or a bacterial infection.
Pathogenesis may also be based on a disruption in the synthesis of immunoglobulins (protein molecules that are synthesized by mucous membranes and provide local immunity to the body). All this leads to the development of an inflammatory process, progression of microflora disorders. A systemic process may develop that will spread to the entire body.
The development of dysbacteriosis is associated with the fact that the microflora is dynamic and changeable. The nature of the microflora changes and largely depends on the state of the body. It is the current state of the body, including the hormonal and biochemical background, that provides selective advantages in the biotope to various forms of microorganisms.
The basis of the urogenital microflora is represented by various biovariants of saccharolytic microorganisms. They are called the combined concept of "Doderlein" bacteria. These microorganisms develop with a sufficient amount of lactic acid. The biological significance of these microorganisms is that such an environment prevents the colonization of the biotope by acid-sensitive microorganisms. If these microorganisms die, others, including pathogenic ones, begin to multiply uncontrollably and colonize the biotope, causing disease.
How is thrush transmitted from a woman to a man?
Thrush is transmitted through sexual contact if one of the partners is sick. It can be transmitted through both traditional and non-traditional sexual contacts. Oral sex is also considered one of the ways of transmitting the infection.
However, the disease does not always develop. The disease can develop only if the partner has a weakened immune system. With a normal immune system, the disease usually does not develop. This is due to the fact that the urogenital microflora normally has a fairly high colonization resistance, which prevents the development of pathogenic and any other foreign microflora in the body.
Sexual tract
It is not entirely correct to consider the sexual transmission of infection in thrush. The fact is that the pathogen is not a specific virus or bacteria, but pathogenic microflora, the amount of which is beyond the norm. Conventionally, we can say that both normal and pathogenic microflora normally live in the human body. The normal one prevails, it suppresses the pathogenic one and does not allow its excessive development.
Under certain circumstances, the amount of normal microflora may decrease. In this case, pathogenic microflora is immediately activated, which becomes predominant. This condition can develop only if the immunity is reduced. Normally, if the pathogenic microflora of a sick person gets into the body of a healthy partner, the normal microflora will not allow it to take root and become active. This property is called colonization resistance of microorganisms. If the partner's immunity is reduced, there is a high probability of infection.
Oral sex
When developing thrush, oral sex can be considered as one of the ways of transmitting the infection. In this case, the disease is caused by the fact that the microflora gets into a biotope that is not natural. Representatives of the urogenital microflora should not normally be found in the oral cavity. When they get in, stomatitis most often develops, less often - gingivitis, caries.
The incubation period of thrush in men
The disease does not have a clearly defined incubation period. If the immune system is weakened, dysbacteriosis may develop within 1-2 days. Colonization of the urogenital tract by pathogenic microflora also develops within 1-2 days.
Epidemiology
According to statistics, thrush occurs mainly in women. It is observed much less frequently in men. It is noted that approximately 1 in 200 men suffer from thrush. Most often, teenagers are susceptible to this disease (54% of cases). Men of reproductive age suffer from thrush in approximately 16% of cases. Elderly men suffer from thrush in 28% of cases. About 2% of thrush occurs in children, as well as in newborns who contracted the disease from a sick mother.