{"id":367,"date":"2025-04-10T13:19:49","date_gmt":"2025-04-10T13:19:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.troop956.com\/?p=367"},"modified":"2025-04-17T19:24:38","modified_gmt":"2025-04-17T19:24:38","slug":"this-simple-mistake-can-give-you-itchy-crotch-rot-heres-how-to-avoid-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.troop956.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/10\/this-simple-mistake-can-give-you-itchy-crotch-rot-heres-how-to-avoid-it\/","title":{"rendered":"This simple mistake can give you itchy \u2018crotch rot\u2019 \u2014 here\u2019s how to avoid it"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n\t\t\"Ripe\t<\/div>
You can get an infection from simply putting on your undies (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When you\u2019re getting dressed in the morning<\/a>, bleary-eyed and half asleep, you could be making one crucial mistake.<\/p>\n

As you pull your underwear<\/a> over your feet and legs, keep your toes well away, or you could end up with \u2018crotch rot\u2019.<\/p>\n

Experts tell Metro <\/strong>that foot fungal infections<\/a> are incredibly common \u2014 and extremely contagious<\/a>. So if you then catch your foot on your pants, there\u2019s a \u2018strong chance\u2019 it could transfer to your genitals.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s everything you need to know.<\/p>\n

What is crotch rot and how can you get it?<\/h2>\n

Simply put, crotch rot, jock itch, or tinea cruris (its medical name) is a fungal infection<\/a> in your genitals<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

And according to Dr Suzanne Wylie, a GP with over 10 years\u2019 experience, accidentally rubbing your foot in your underwear<\/a><\/strong> is among the ways it can be transmitted.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
@dermguru<\/a> <\/p>\n

Moisturizers wont fix this #dermguru<\/a> #dryfeet<\/a> #crackedfeet<\/a> #toenailfungus<\/a> #footfungus<\/a> #athletesfoot<\/a> #tineapedis<\/a> #greenscreen<\/a> <\/p>\n

\u266c original sound \u2013 Dermguru<\/a> <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Dr Wylie says foot fungus is both \u2018extremely\u2019 common \u2013 affecting around 15 to 25% of Brits in their lifetime \u2013 and \u2018highly contagious\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u2018It can spread through direct skin-to-skin contact such as touching or rubbing the infected foot, and then touching somewhere else on your body before washing your hands,\u2019 she tells Metro<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u2018It can also spread indirectly through contaminated surfaces such as floors, towels, shoes, underwear or socks. Once on the skin, the fungus can thrive and multiply, particularly in warm and damp environments.\u2019<\/p>\n

While Dr Wylie notes that your feet touching your underwear is a well-known route of transmission for the infection, it won\u2019t always be easy to work out exactly where you caught crotch rot from.<\/p>\n

\u2018This is because the fungus can live on surfaces or clothing for a while,\u2019 sexual health nurse for Lovehoney, Sarah Mulindwa, explains.<\/p>\n

Plus, it can be caused by other issues such as a compromised immune system or increased skin moisture due to tight clothes or excessive sweating.<\/p>\n

What are the symptoms of crotch rot?<\/h2>\n

\u2018In men, tinea cruris often presents as a red or reddish-brown rash with a scaly or raised border<\/a>, usually affecting the inner thighs and groin,\u2019 says Dr Wylie.<\/p>\n

\u2018Itching is a prominent symptom and may be accompanied by discomfort or a burning sensation. There may also be some peeling, cracking, or flaking of the skin.<\/p>\n

\u2018The scrotum is usually spared, which helps differentiate it from some other rashes or conditions.\u2019<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
@dr.ibrahim.salman<\/a> <\/p>\n

These things can unintentionally make your #jockitch<\/a> worse. Recognize the signs of jock itch \ud83d\udc49\ud83c\udffb @Dr Ibrahim Salman and learn how to treat it \ud83d\udc49\ud83c\udffb @Dr Ibrahim Salman <\/p>\n

\u266c Music Food (Director Cut Mix) \u2013 Chad<\/a> <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Nurse Sarah Mulindwa adds that both men and women can catch the infection, but men are more susceptible.<\/p>\n

\u2018This is largely because men have increased sweating in the groin area, the shape of male anatomy, and the types of clothing often worn, such as tight underwear or sportswear,\u2019 she tells Metro<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

For women, symptoms appear in the groin, inner thighs and lower abdomen, but the scaly patches may be less ring-shaped.<\/p>\n

\u2018It can sometimes be mistaken for other conditions like irritant dermatitis<\/a> (skin irritation) or candidiasis<\/a> (a fungal infection caused by an overgrowth of yeast), so proper diagnosis is key,\u2019 Dr Wylie, for IQdoctor<\/a>, adds.<\/p>\n

\n

\n\t\t\t\tThe London borough with England\u2019s highest rates of syphilis, genital warts and gonorrhoea\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
\n

Residents of the\u00a0London<\/a>\u00a0borough of the\u00a0City of Westminster<\/a>\u00a0have the highest rates in\u00a0England<\/a>\u00a0for not one, but three, major\u00a0STIs<\/a>, with more cases of\u00a0syphilis<\/a>,\u00a0gonorrhoea<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0genital warts<\/a>\u00a0per 100,000 people than anywhere else in the country.<\/p>\n

Most prevalent is gonorrhoea, otherwise known as\u00a0\u2018the clap\u2019<\/a>\u00a0or \u2018drip\u2019, with a whopping 749 cases, suggesting some Westminster locals may have skipped their lessons on\u00a0safe sex<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The city-centre location was also found to have 135 cases of genital warts per 100,000 people, caused by HPV, while syphilis came in at 125 cases.<\/p>\n

With a population of 247,614, that means 1,855 have had gonorrhoea infections, 334 have had genital warts, and 310 have had syphillis.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Is crotch rot treatable?<\/h2>\n

If you ever find yourself with these symptoms, your first port of call should be your doctor.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Once they\u2019ve confirmed you\u2019ve got crotch rot, you\u2019ll be offered treatment such as topical antifungal creams, powders, or sprays.<\/p>\n

Dr Wylie explains: \u2018You apply this to the affected area for at least two weeks but in more severe cases where it\u2019s spread to other parts of the body, you may be prescribed an oral antifungal medication.\u2019<\/p>\n

Keeping the affected area clean and dry is crucial for recovering from your infection \u2013 as it is for preventing the infection in the first place.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re prone to sweating, Dr Wylie recommends using antifungal powders to prevent crotch rot. And when it comes to avoiding fungal foot infections, you should also avoid walking barefoot in communal areas like swimming pools and showers.<\/p>\n

\u2018Wearing breathable footwear, and changing socks and underwear daily also helps,\u2019 she adds. \u2018Avoid sharing towels or clothing too.\u2019<\/p>\n

Do you have a story to share?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You can get an infection from simply putting on your undies (Picture: Getty Images) When you\u2019re getting dressed in the morning, bleary-eyed and half asleep, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":369,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.troop956.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/367"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.troop956.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.troop956.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.troop956.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.troop956.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=367"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.troop956.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/367\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":370,"href":"http:\/\/www.troop956.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/367\/revisions\/370"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.troop956.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/369"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.troop956.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=367"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.troop956.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=367"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.troop956.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=367"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}