Online Jock Itch Treatment
Jock itch can be uncomfortable and embarrassing, but you don’t need to visit a clinic to get it checked. With Your Doctors Online, you can send photos and speak with a board-certified doctor from home 24/7, who can confirm whether it’s jock itch and, when medically appropriate, prescribe the right antifungal treatment.
How to get jock itch treatment online
Connect with a health care professional online in 3 easy steps.
Describe your issue
Download our app, register and tell us about your medical issue to get started.
- Fungal Infection
- STD
- UTI
- Sexual Health
- Skin
- Allergies
Chat with a doctor
Connect with a board-certified doctor. You can chat, send pictures and videos.
Hi I’m Dr. Nicole. How may I help you?
Hi Dr. Nicole, I have a groin rash with intense itching. Can you please help?
Get online prescription
Our online doctors can help you with your medical issues and give you prescriptions.
Prescription
- Ketoconazole cream 2%
- Once a day for two weeks
Send Prescription
What are the treatment options for jock itch?
Jock itch is a fungal infection, so treatment involves antifungal medicine. Most cases clear with a cream, while stubborn or widespread infections may need prescription treatment.
- Antifungal cream: Most cases can be treated with an antifungal cream applied to the affected skin for about two to four weeks. Keep using it for the full treatment period, even after the itching improves.
- Prescription antifungal treatment: A doctor may prescribe a cream or antifungal tablets if an over-the-counter treatment has not worked, the rash keeps coming back, or the infection is widespread.
- Keep the area dry: Change out of sweaty clothes, keep the groin dry, and treat athlete’s foot at the same time if you have it, since the fungus can spread from your feet to your groin.
- Avoid steroid creams on their own: They can make a fungal infection worse and change how the rash looks, making it harder to diagnose.
If an over-the-counter antifungal has not helped after about two weeks, talk to a doctor instead of trying different creams.
What antifungal medications can we prescribe online?
The right antifungal depends on how widespread the infection is, how long you’ve had it, and whether other treatments have worked. Your doctor will recommend the option that best fits your situation.
Topical antifungal
Learn More
Topical antifungal
Learn More Topical antifungal
Learn More Oral antifungal
Learn More Oral antifungal
Learn More What is jock itch and what causes it?
Jock itch (tinea cruris) is a fungal infection that affects the skin around the groin. It grows in warm, sweaty, and damp skin, which is why the groin is a common place for it to develop. Common triggers include:
- Sweating and friction, especially in hot weather or tight clothing
- Athlete’s foot spreading from your feet to your groin
- Close skin-to-skin contact with someone who has a fungal infection
- Sharing towels, bedding, sports equipment, or other personal items
- Having diabetes or carrying extra weight, which can create warm, moist skin folds
- A weakened immune system, which can make the infection harder to clear
Jock itch usually takes a few days to appear after exposure, so it can be difficult to know exactly where or when you picked it up.
What are the symptoms of jock itch?
Jock itch usually causes:
- An itchy, scaly rash around the groin and inner thighs
- A raised, clearer edge around the rash
- Burning or stinging, especially when the skin is irritated
- Small blisters in some cases
- A rash that spreads to the buttocks or around the anus
- Darker or lighter skin that can remain after the infection clears
A rash on the penis or scrotum, rapid spreading, cracked or very painful skin, or oozing may point to another infection and should be checked by a doctor.
Can you treat jock itch at home?
Yes, most cases of jock itch can be treated at home with an over-the-counter antifungal.
- Apply the antifungal to the rash and the surrounding skin as directed, and finish the full course even after the itching improves.
- Keep the area clean and completely dry. Wear loose, breathable underwear and change it daily.
- Treat athlete’s foot at the same time if you have it, since the fungus can spread from your feet to your groin.
- Wash towels, bedding, and gym clothes regularly, and do not share them while you have the infection.
- Avoid steroid creams on their own. They can make a fungal infection worse and may hide its usual appearance.
See a doctor if the rash is severe, has lasted more than two weeks, keeps coming back, or has not improved after a full course of treatment. A stubborn rash may need a different antifungal or a closer look to confirm that it is actually jock itch.
FAQs about jock itch treatment online
What is the strongest prescription for jock itch?
There is no single strongest prescription for jock itch, and the right treatment depends on how widespread or stubborn the infection is. Prescription creams such as Luliconazole, Ketoconazole, and Econazole can treat many cases, while oral antifungal tablets may be needed when the rash is widespread, keeps coming back, or does not improve with a cream.
Why is it so hard to get rid of jock itch?
Jock itch is usually hard to shift because treatment stops too early or the source is missed. The itching improves before the infection clears, so stopping the cream early leaves fungus behind. Athlete’s foot can keep reinfecting the groin, and damp or tight clothing gives the fungus the conditions it needs. Used correctly, antifungal treatment clears 80 to 90 percent of cases.
Can you get rid of jock itch permanently?
Yes, jock itch can be cleared completely with the right antifungal treatment. It can come back, though, because treatment does not stop you catching it again. Treating athlete’s foot at the same time, keeping the area dry, and not sharing towels or clothing all lower the chance of it returning. If you get it often, MedlinePlus suggests continuing an antifungal after bathing even when you do not have a rash.
Why do I keep getting jock itch?
Repeat infections usually come from one of three things: untreated athlete’s foot spreading from your feet, stopping the cream before the full course is finished, or conditions that keep the skin warm and damp, such as heavy sweating, tight clothing, extra weight, or diabetes. If none of these apply and the rash keeps returning, see a doctor, as a rash that does not respond to standard treatment may need a different antifungal.
How long does it take for jock itch to go away with antifungal cream?
Most cases take about two to four weeks to clear with antifungal cream. The itching often improves within the first week, but the infection may still be there, so keep using the cream for the full treatment period. Prescription creams may work in a shorter course, depending on the medication.
If there is no improvement after two weeks of treatment, talk to a doctor rather than switching to another cream on your own.
What happens if jock itch goes untreated?
Untreated jock itch usually spreads. It can move across the inner thighs, to the buttocks, and around the anus, and it can pass to other people. Scratching can break the skin and allow a bacterial infection on top of the fungal one. In some cases the fungus reaches the hair follicles, which is harder to treat with a cream alone, and the skin color changes it leaves behind can be permanent.
Can jock itch cause a UTI?
No. Jock itch is a fungal infection of the skin, and a urinary tract infection is a bacterial infection inside the urinary tract. One does not cause the other. If you have burning when you urinate, needing to go more often, or cloudy urine, that is a separate problem and should be checked.
How long does jock itch last?
With antifungal treatment, most cases clear in about two to four weeks. Without treatment it can last for months, because the groin stays warm and damp enough for the fungus to keep growing. Starting treatment early and finishing the full course makes the biggest difference.
Is cortisone good for jock itch?
No. CDC advises against using steroid creams on ringworm or on any rash that has not been diagnosed, because steroids can make the infection worse. Hydrocortisone may ease the itching for a short time, but it allows the fungus to spread and changes how the rash looks, which makes it harder to diagnose. A doctor may prescribe a combination antifungal and steroid cream for inflamed jock itch in people aged 17 and over, but that is a short course and is not the same as using Hydrocortisone on its own.
Can jock itch be sexually transmitted?
Yes, jock itch can spread through close skin-to-skin contact, including sex, but it is not considered a sexually transmitted infection (STI) because it can also spread through non-sexual contact, shared towels, clothing, and other items. Avoid close contact until the infection has cleared, especially if your partner has a rash.
Does jock itch ooze fluid?
It can. Jock itch is usually dry and scaly, but the skin can blister and ooze where it is irritated or rubbed. Thick yellow pus, red streaks spreading from the rash, or skin that is hot and swollen suggests a bacterial infection on top of the fungal one, and that should be checked in person rather than treated with another antifungal cream.
Is there a female version of jock itch?
Yes, women can get the same fungal infection, called jock itch or tinea cruris, usually around the groin and upper inner thighs. However, other infections, such as a yeast infection, can cause a similar-looking rash and may need different treatment, so it is best to have the rash checked before choosing a medication.
How Our App Has
Helped Patients
Our 500,000+ Members Love Our Online Doctors 5 Star Rating With 1600+ Reviews Here Is What They Say
Get started today
Talk to online doctors now and get medical advice, online prescriptions, refills, lab requisitions and medical notes within minutes. On-demand healthcare services at your fingertips.
