Can men get a yeast infection or BV?

While there's no male equivalent of BV, some men do acquire a male version of a yeast infection, called tinea cruris (or jock itch). Though it is possible to transmit a yeast infection from a female partner to a male partner, the chances are low and recent statistics show that uncomplicated cases of yeast infections are not usually acquired through sexual intercourse. 

In fact, the male version of a yeast infection, or jock itch, is usually acquired through actions or environments other than sex. Because of their different anatomy, men tend to get fungal infections externally, rather than internally. The treatment, however, is the same as with candidal vulvovaginitis: antifungal medication. In the case of jock itch, the medicine is usually administered as a cream, spray, or powder.

In general, if somebody has a yeast infection, a practitioner won't use that as a reason to recommend not being intimate, as long as that person feels okay. If someone has a yeast infection and doesn't feel like having sex, that is, of course, totally legitimate and they should wait until they’re feeling better. All in all, there isn’t a significant enough risk of passing the infection back and forth from a female partner to a male partner, so the barometer for having sex has more to do with personal comfort than transmission. 

The same is true if a man has a fungal infection: it's not a reason to abstain from sex, though he might still choose to abstain because he’s not feeling great. Technically, it is possible to contract a yeast infection in the throat via oral sex, though this is rare. Generally, if condoms are not already a part of the routine, start using them if either partner has a known yeast infection.

Though there is no risk of transmitting BV with heterosexual partners–and the risk of transmitting yeast infections is uncommon–the transmission of BV between female partners is more common, particularly if using sex toys. For example, if one partner has bacterial vaginosis and the sex toy being used is then transferred to the other partner without cleaning, that's one way that BV can pass back and forth.