Health ConditionsSkin Conditions

What Is Jock Itch?

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Updated on July 10, 2025
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Jock itch is a type of fungal infection that affects the groin area, inner thighs, and buttocks.

 Another name for jock itch is tinea cruris, or ringworm of the groin (tinea is the medical term for ringworm).

Jock itch can be uncomfortable, but it is highly treatable with over-the-counter medication. Although jock itch gets its name because it’s common in athletes, people who sweat a lot or who are overweight are also more prone to the condition.

Signs and Symptoms of Jock Itch

Symptoms typically appear between 4 and 14 days after the skin comes in contact with the fungi that cause ringworm.

Jock itch often begins with a spreading rash that might be red, brown, purple, or gray depending on your skin color. It usually begins in the crease in the groin and moves down the upper thigh and buttocks.

 It usually does not involve the scrotum or penis.

The rash may be full or partially ring-shaped and bordered with a line of small blisters. It may sting, burn or feel itchy, and the skin may be scaly.

Causes and Risk Factors of Jock Itch

A group of fungi called dermatophytes cause jock itch. These fungi naturally live on your skin, hair, and nails and normally don’t cause problems.

However, these fungi multiply quickly when exposed to warmth and moisture over an extended period of time (for example, when you remain in sweat-soaked clothes after exercising).

This overgrowth of dermatophytes in the groin area causes the infection known as jock itch.

The fungus that causes jock itch is contagious. You can get it through close personal contact with an infected person or through skin-to-skin contact. Contact with an infected person’s unwashed clothing can also spread the fungus and cause an infection.

The same fungus that causes athlete’s foot often causes jock itch.

The infection often spreads from the feet to the groin because the fungus can travel on your hands or on a towel. You can also spread the infection by pulling up your underwear or pants if you have contaminated the waistband of your pants with the fungus from your feet.

Certain risk factors may make you more susceptible to jock itch:

  • Being male
  • Being a teen or young adult
  • Wearing tight underwear, jeans or other clothing
  • Having athlete’s foot
  • Sweating heavily
  • Having a weakened immune system

While jock itch is far more common among men, due to the proximity of the scrotum to the thigh and the resulting friction and susceptibility to moisture, women can also get jock itch.

People who are obese are at an increased risk for jock itch because of their moisture-trapping skinfolds.

If you have diabetes, your risk of jock itch increases in two ways: The excess blood sugar levels can promote fungi growth, and your immune system is not as strong in general, making you more at risk for common skin infections.

People with compromised immune systems, such as those who have HIV or cancer, are also more prone to jock itch.

How Is Jock Itch Diagnosed?

Your healthcare provider can usually diagnose jock itch based on how your skin looks.

Rarely, doctors may take a small scraping of your skin to look at under a microscope.

Tests are usually not necessary. If you need tests, they may include:

  • A simple office test called a KOH exam to check for fungus
  • Skin culture
  • A skin biopsy, performed with a special stain called periodic acid–Schiff (PAS) to identify fungus and yeast

Prognosis of Jock Itch

Jock itch usually doesn’t go away quickly on its own, but you can easily treat and cure it.

Jock itch usually responds promptly to treatment. It is often less severe than other tinea infections, such as athlete’s foot, but may last a long time.

Duration of Jock Itch

With proper treatment, jock itch should clear up in one to three weeks.

 If you don’t treat it, jock itch can last for months.

This infection often comes back more than once, especially if you also have fungal infections on your feet or toenails.

Treatment and Medication Options for Jock Itch

You can usually treat jock itch with nonprescription antifungal creams, ointments, lotions, or powders applied to the skin for two to four weeks.

The nonprescription products available to treat ringworm include:

  • clotrimazole (Mycelex, Lotrimin AF)
  • terbinafine (Lamisil)
  • ketoconazole
If you are not responding to over-the-counter medications, your doctor may prescribe something stronger, including these topical medications:

  • econazole nitrate
  • oxiconazole (Oxistat)

Your doctor may also prescribe one of these oral medications:

  • fluconazole (Diflucan)
  • itraconazole (Sporanox)
If you tend to get jock itch, you should continue to apply antifungal or drying powders after bathing to help prevent reoccurrence. You should also be sure to keep the groin area clean and dry.

Prevention of Jock Itch

Practicing good hygiene is the best defense against jock itch. Regular hand-washing can greatly reduce your risk of getting this infection from someone else. It’s also important to keep your skin clean and dry, especially the area around your groin.

You should also avoid tight-fitting clothing including underwear or jeans that can further increase your risk of jock itch.

Wearing loose-fitting clothing, especially in hot and humid weather, can prevent sweat from creating the warm, moist environment in which the fungus thrives.

Be sure to wash your workout clothes after each use and don’t share clothing, towels, or personal items with others.

To avoid spreading athlete’s foot to your groin area, don’t use the same towel you use on your feet for your groin.

Putting socks on before underwear can also help prevent you spreading nail and foot fungus (athlete’s feet) to the groin area.

Complications of Jock Itch

Complications are uncommon, but you may experience one of the following:

  • Failure of treatment and recurrence due to reinfection
  • Spreading to other areas of the body, including the nails, hands, and feet
  • Secondary bacterial skin infections, such as cellulitis or abscess formation from scratching or rubbing
  • Temporary skin discoloration

Research and Statistics: How Common Is Jock Itch?

Ringworm of the skin or nails can affect 20 to 25 percent of the world’s population at any given time.

 It is estimated that up to 25 percent of people develop a ringworm infection at some point in their lives.

Conditions Related to Jock Itch

Diseases that may mimic jock itch include:

  • Psoriasis A common skin condition that speeds up the life cycle of skin cells, psoriasis results in thick scaly patches called plaques. These plaques, which tend to itch, burn, or sting, most commonly appear on the knees, elbows, lower back, or scalp.

  • Candidiasis (Yeast Infection) These infections can occur when yeast, a fungus normally found on your skin, overgrows in warm or humid conditions or when you damage your skin. The infection can occur in the vaginal area, penis, mouth (known as thrush), navel, corners of the mouth, and nail beds, as well as in skin folds. Symptoms can include a rash, itching, and burning depending on the location. You can easily treat yeast infections with ointments or other anti-yeast (antifungal) creams.

  • Erythrasma Multiforme This skin disorder is caused by an allergic reaction to medicine or an infection. The herpes simplex virus is the most common infectious cause. Symptoms include raised, symmetrical skin patches that often look like targets (dark circles with purplish gray centers) and can appear all over the body. The skin condition may happen over and over again, and usually lasts two to four weeks each time.

  • Dandruff (Seborrheic Dermatitis) Dandruff, a common condition considered to be a mild form of seborrheic dermatitis, causes the skin on the scalp to flake. It can almost always be controlled with a medicated shampoo.

The Takeaway

  • Jock itch, or ringworm of the groin, is a common, contagious fungal infection affecting the groin and thigh area that often causes discomfort, itching, and a rash.
  • While it’s common in athletes, anyone can get jock itch, especially if they are male, sweat a lot, have obesity, wear tight clothing, or live with other medical conditions like diabetes or a compromised immune system.
  • Jock itch usually clears up in three to four weeks, and over-the-counter and prescription lotions, creams, and powders can help to soothe and treat the rash.
  • Staying dry, practicing good hygiene, washing workout clothes after each use, and avoiding sharing personal items might help to reduce a person’s risk of jock itch.

Common Questions & Answers

How did I get jock itch?
A group of fungi called dermatophytes causes jock itch. These fungi live on your skin and don’t normally cause problems, but if exposed to moisture over an extended period of time, they multiply quickly and lead to infection.
Look for reddened skin in the crease of the groin; the reddened area may spread to the upper thigh. The rash may be ring-shaped with small blisters. It may burn or itch, and your skin may be flaky or scaly.
Jock itch usually doesn’t go away on its own. While it’s often less severe than similar infections, such as athlete’s foot, it could last a long time. The condition is curable and generally responds promptly to treatment.
It takes two to four weeks to get rid of jock itch with nonprescription creams or powders. If you don’t respond to nonprescription treatments, your doctor may prescribe stronger topical medications.
While skin-to-skin contact is one way to spread jock itch, it is not a sexually transmitted infection. It’s a fungal infection caused by excess moisture gathering in the groin area.

Resources We Trust

EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
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  5. Jock itch. Mount Sinai. May 31, 2023.
  6. Pippin MM et al. Tinea Cruris. StatPearls. August 17, 2023.
  7. Jock Itch (Tinea Cruris). Cleveland Clinic. December 1, 2021.
  8. Jock Itch (Tinea Cruris). Merck Manual. January 2024.
  9. David P et al. A Comprehensive Overview of Skin Complications in Diabetes and Their Prevention. Cureus. May 13, 2023.
  10. Treatment of Ringworm and Fungal Nail Infections. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. April 24, 2024.
  11. Vanquishing jock itch requires a two-phase approach. UCLA Health. September 20, 2021.
  12. Ringworm. Cleveland Clinic. October 21, 2022.
  13. Psoriasis: Overview. American Academy of Dermatology.
  14. Candidiasis (Yeast Infection). Merck Manual. January 2024.
  15. Erythema Multiforme. Johns Hopkins Medicine.
  16. Understanding seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff treatment. UCLA Health. October 4, 2024.
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