Vaginal candidiasis

November 2005     View PDF     En español

Anti-fungal drugs and pregnancy

The U.S. Public Health Service Guidelines for the Prevention of Opportunistic Infections include recommendations about using anti-fungal drugs during pregnancy. In short, the Guidelines recommend that oral azole anti-fungals—including fluconazole (Diflucan), itraconazole (Sporanox) and ketoconazole (Nizoral)—should not be used during pregnancy because they have caused birth defects in animal studies.

If you are pregnant and treating or preventing vaginal candidiasis, topical therapies are preferable. Moreover, it’s recommended that oral azole drugs be stopped in women who become pregnant and that women taking these drugs use effective birth control.