The value of treating the male partner in vaginal candidiasis

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether treatment of the sexual partners of women with vulvo-vaginal candidiasis with oral Ketoconazole can affect the cure and recurrence rate of candida vaginitis.

METHODS: A total number of 144 women with vaginal candidiasis were treated with Ketoconazole 400 mg daily for 7 days, and half the male partners were treated with Ketoconazole 400 mg daily for 7 days. All women had physical follow-up examination, and mycological cultures were obtained at one week and four weeks after the start of treatment. The incidence of predisposing factors or of a recurrence history did not differ between treatment groups. Chi-square test was used to determine the significance of difference between the two groups with or without simultaneous treatment of the male partners.

RESULTS: In the control group (untreated partners) 53 of 72 patients were cured after one week, with a cure rate of 74%, compared to 57 of 72 patients (treated partners) with a cure rate of 79%. The recurrence rate in the control group (untreated partners) 4 weeks after the start of treatment was 28 of 53 (53%), compared to 35 of 57 (61%) in the (untreated partners) group. No significant statistical difference was found in the cure and recurrence rates for both groups.

CONCLUSION: Simultaneous treatment of the male partners with Ketoconazole did not influence either cure rate or recurrence rate in women with vaginal candidiasis.