Dr Rautemaa-Richardson helps develop new BASHH guidelines for vulvovaginal candidiasis

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Dr Riina Rautemaa-Richardson of MRCM was recently an author on the new British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) guidelines for management of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC). Changes to the previous guidelines include:

  • Definitions have been changed to ‘acute/recurrent’, instead of ‘uncomplicated/complicated’
  • Ketoconazole is no longer recommended
  • Non-azole therapies should be reserved for azole-resistant or non-albicans strains
  • Azole antifungals have reduced activity in the more acidic conditions typically found within the vagina, which may lead to clinical resistance even in strains that appear susceptible (as testing is performed at neutral pH)

This follows her well-received presentation on the subject at Fungal Update 2019, which you can watch on YouTube, and a review in Lancet Infect Dis of the global burden of recurrent VVC (Denning et al, 2018)