recurring yeast infection

[illicitlearning.livejournal.com]

My boyfriend and I have been in a LDR for about a year and half, since he moved to Washington for grad school. It seems like every time I go up to visit him, I acquire a yeast infection. This is especially weird because I had only ever had two yeast infections in all my life until this. I've had maybe three or four in the past year and a half.
At first I thought it had something to do with him, or with having sex, but when he's come down to visit me, I've been fine. It's only when I go up there. I suspected it might have to do with the change in ambient humidity or something else to do with travel, but I've visited DC and Florida in the past year, and had no trouble either time. My current best guess is that it has something to do with his bathwater - it seems like the symptoms always start soon after I take my first shower in his apartment. How likely is this? What else might it be? What can I do to prevent it? It's becoming really annoying.

Comments

[gloraelin.livejournal.com]

Do you use different soap at his place than at home?

[illicitlearning.livejournal.com]

No, I use the same one.

ETA: Though we do sometimes have shower sex. I haven't been paying attention to when we do that vs when I get YIs, so maybe shower sex is getting the soap up in me and that's causing the problem? I think we usually rinse off pretty well, but that's something I can watch out for.

[illicitlearning.livejournal.com]

I thought this might be it, but he visited me twice in the past three months and there was no problem. I visit him last weekend and suddenly, bam, yeast. If it were just him, I'd expect it to happen any time we had sex, not just when I went to visit him.

[eunicemcgee.livejournal.com]

Maybe it's coincidence that you've been re-catching it on those visits? Also, are you using his washcloths or towels when you go visit him? Maybe it's his detergent? Does he have different lube at his place, different brand of condoms?

[illicitlearning.livejournal.com]

It might be. It just seems odd, since I otherwise basically never have any problems. I can usually do whatever the heck I want and never worry about my vagina minding; it's pretty resilient.

We only rarely use lube or condoms, so that's probably not it. But, I do use his towels, so that might be it. I'm pretty sure we have different detergents, although they're both 'sensitive skin' type because I'll get itchy all over my body if it's not. So that's something to look into, too. Thanks :)

[andi1235.livejournal.com]

Maybe try buying him a filtered shower head? I can't think what could be in the water that could cause problems, but if you're sensitive to chlorine or something and getting irritated, maybe filtering his water would help?

Kind of an out-there suggestion, but perhaps it's worth a try. Plus, you can get showerheads that both filter the water and are hand-held/removable, which I've heard can be a VERY good thing as far as shower sex (and showers alone) are concerned! ;)