 [ Symptoms ] are yeast infections contagious [ Disease ] no yeast infections are not contagious in the way a cold or the flu is yeast infections are caused by a fungus more specifically a yeast called candida candida is a commensal organism meaning that under healthy conditions it lives harmlessly in our bodies we all have candida living on our skin and in our intestines and healthy women carry candida in their vaginas when the body is defenses are in balance candida is not noticeable or bothersome however certain conditions can give candida the opportunity to grow excessively a low functioning immune system use of topical or oral corticosteroids such as prednisone often for asthma or autoimmune conditions damage to the mucous membranes the skin lining the mouth vagina and gi tract antibiotic use in these situations candida can grow on the skin or in the lining of the mouth gi tract or vagina the fungus creates a white patch or plaque across the mucous membranes in the mouth visible candida infection is called thrush in the vagina it is a yeast infection in people with weakened immune systems candida can grow almost anywhere in the body because candida is normally present in all our bodies someone with thrush can not exactly pass it to someone else    that person already has candida to develop thrush a yeast infection or another candida infection that person may have one or more of the above risk factors or conditions