Jock itch

Jock itch with a rash

Jock itch is usually an itchy rash in the fold of skin in the groin. In men, the skin fold beneath the scrotum is often affected as well, but not the penis. The skin over the testicles (scrotum skin) is seldom affected. The rash is red and slightly scaly. It usually has a sharp border, demarcating it clearly from the unaffected skin. If you look closely at the border, you may see that the edge is very slightly raised with small pimples. The rash spreads outwards and, as it does so, the centre may clear. Both sides are usually affected, but the shape of the rash may be different on each side.

Jock itch is sometimes known as ‘sweat rash’, but it is not caused by sweat. The actual cause is a tinea fungus – the same fungus that causes athlete’s foot. In fact, jock itch is probably ‘caught’ from your own feet. Check between your toes for the red, scaly appearance of athlete’s foot. Athlete’s foot is very common in people who do a lot of sport, because it is easily caught from the floors of communal changing rooms and showers.

What to do

Although sweat does not cause the rash, the fungus does thrive in warm, moist, sweaty conditions, so you can help yourself by:

not wearing tight underpants
wearing 100% cotton underpants instead of synthetic fabrics
drying yourself carefully in the groin and around the testicles after bathing or showering
losing weight if you have a paunch
looking after your feet to avoid athlete’s foot (look at the section on sweaty feet)
putting your socks on before your underpants when you get dressed, to prevent fungi from your feet getting inside your underpants.

Fungi also thrive on skin that is slightly damaged. Skin damage is commonly caused by perfumes in soaps, shampoos and shower gels, and enzymes in washing powders. So you can help yourself by:

washing with an unperfumed soap
if you wash your hair in the shower, not letting the foam run down your body into the groin creases
not using ‘enzyme’ or ‘biological’ washing powders for your underpants.

These self-help measures will discourage the fungus but probably will not eliminate it, so see your doctor for an antifungal cream. Your doctor can also check that the rash is not some other skin problem (such as psoriasis).

Jock itch without a rash

Sometimes the groin area can be very itchy but there is no rash to be seen. In this case, a fungal infection is unlikely. Probably your skin is very sensitive to soaps and perfumes, so follow the advice above and look at the section on itching.

Written by: Dr Margaret Stearn
Edited by: Dr Margaret Stearn
Last updated: Wednesday, February 2nd 2011

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Comments on this article

Posted by Jere on 09/01/2012 at 04:59

Hi Gents Jock itch/Sweat Rash without wasting your time and money - is simply cured by a cream that can be given by your doctor or bought on the internet, the cream is > Daktacort, Hydrocortisone Cream < that will clear it up for you in a few days to a week or so depending on how bad it is, its costs anywhere from £3.50 to £6.50 or free from the doctors = problem solved ? From Edinburgh Scotland - Regards Jere

Posted by Optional on 05/12/2011 at 11:26

im suffering from jock itch for almost 3-4 years..but now it has completely stop itching except near my anal ...however there is an ugly dark acne which has been left i wish to remove it..how can i do this..btw...i never use something to cure my jock itch..but now i just want to remove this discolouratio on my skin..plz help!i may sent a pics if u want..sorry for my bad english

Posted by just read it... on 21/07/2011 at 02:12

Hey Scrotum itcher- I just read this http://www.embarrassingproblems.com/problem/anal-itching Read the part about threadworms, I wonder if that's it? "Threadworms (pinworms) are tiny worms, about 13 mm long, which live in the lower part of the bowel. They are very common – an estimated 40 million cases in the USA alone. The female worms creep out of the anus at night – how they know it is night, and why they come out only at night, is a mystery. They lay thousands of eggs on the skin of the anus, causing intense itching at night. When you scratch, the eggs lodge under your fingernails, and it is easy to transfer them to your mouth and reinfect your gut by swallowing the eggs." Good Luck!

Posted by Optional on 03/05/2011 at 12:45

I have an itch on my 'scrotem' which only appears at night. Have now found tiny germ things which cause tiny itchy swellings on the 'bag'. On scratching they seem to disapear into the skin. Can you help?

Posted by MS on 19/02/2011 at 10:36

Every once in a while (like, maybe every 3 years or so), I get jock itch. One of these times is right now and it's driving me crazy... Normally it clears up VERY quicky, but once in the summer of 1998 and this current "attack", my jock itch has been rather intractible...

Posted by Optional on 30/01/2011 at 03:22

Can girls get this????????? Im very self-conscious of it and just want it GONE. but..i definately dont have athletes foot, so can SOMEONE tell me what it is (it is as described, on the crease of my groin, not red but browny) PLEASE HELP:(

Posted by Optional on 23/01/2011 at 07:04

I have a mild it on my groin area and pubic area. its coming up in a little rash on the inside of my thighs and i have a itch on my scrotum skin, i dont have athletes foot, What can i use to get rid of the itch and what ever is on my scrotum?

Posted by Optional on 11/01/2011 at 02:16

i have a mildly itchy rash on my penis and a few red itchy bumps slightly above my groin in the pubic area and it stops right at my underwear line. It showed up yesterday morning after I had sex with my long time girl friend, but she was on her period. Im using Tinactin and that controls any itching but it doesn't look like ring worm or jock itch really. She doesnt have any symptoms. I do currently have athletes foot mildly on both feet, I get it often. I walk to work everyday its about a mile, I wear two pairs of sweatpants everyday bc its cold, I sweat alot in general so I assumed it the rash in my groin was partly from that, and... I often use my socks in masturbation and after sex for clean up I don't have any issues with urination. The strange thing is its showing up the day after we had sex on her period. Do I just have the athletes foot spread there or could it be something worse? Im kind of terrified that it is herpes but it really isn't that itchy or painful... Thanks

Posted by pete on 10/06/2010 at 04:16

I'm treating this now for a few months with micanozole ?? an aerosol and a powder - and washing with the right ph soap. and without irritating the area at all - and if I don't shower and treat every day, it comes back. I could lose 10-15 lbs which is difficult because I can hardly walk from stenosis and neuropathy. but I'm wondering will this go on forever or does there come a point where it goes away??? thanks.

Posted by Optional on 23/05/2010 at 12:54

thankyou very much

Posted by successfuladvice on 04/02/2010 at 08:04

Anti-fungal medication can sometimes be so dangerous that bloodwork needs to be monitored. Try these methods, they have worked for many family members. For 'jock-itch', in the US, get over-the-counter Lotimin AT spray. It stings at first, but guaranteed to work in 7 days and I have seen it. We told our doctor about the success in 7 days but she wouldn't consider it for others. I guess no $ involved. For athlete's foot, a slow but sure way is Tea Tree oil and/or Vick's Vapor Rub. I believe the menthol is antibiotic and the cream/oil suffoctes the fungus at any rate, I have seen results, but nails take a long time to grow out. Watch for a healthy pink nail bed first. Look these methods up online. They work AND won't kill you like the meds.

Posted by Anonymous on 12/04/2009 at 10:17

is it contagiuos while having sex ?

Posted by R on 09/04/2009 at 12:43

Wow this is my exact situation. I'm very clean person with nice smooth skin and have been complimented on it to, but I have "athletes foot" and my right big toe's nail is disgusting (black) and plams of my feet get real dry. I used cocoa butter to cream to try and keep them moisturized. Also I noticed recently between my legs a dry patch of skin with discoloration that would get flaky after some hours after a shower, but it didn't itch at all though. I have just recently been taking Fluconazole pills 300mg/wk for my feet for the past month and I have also been using nystatin-trimacinolone cream for the "jock itch". I have two questions.First, will my skin color on the patches between my legs turn back to its orginal color/tone? I'm darkskinned and since I've been using the cream the patches have turned real light. Secondly how long could you estimate the athletes foot will take to clear up from what I've told you so far? So I could finally show my feet off without shame. Thanks alot