Two groups each of 38 women with cultures positive for Candida on Sabouraud’s medium were studied. One group was given terconazole 0.8% cream for 5 days and the other clotrimazole 1% cream for 6 days. 1 week after treatment cultures from the whole terconazole group were negative for Candida, whereas one in the clotrimazole group was still positive and remained so after 4 weeks. Before treatment 27, 31, and 33 women in the terconazole groups, and 27, 33, and 35 subjects in the clotrimazole group suffered from pruritus, burning and discharge, respectively. 1 week after treatment pruritus and burning had subsided in all women in the terconazole group, but were still present in 3 and 5 patients, respectively, in the clotrimazole group. By that time 10 women on terconazole and 14 on clotrimazole still complained of vaginal discharge. 4 weeks after treatment 1 woman on clotrimazole suffered from pruritus and 2 subjects on terconazole from burning; discharge was still present in 9 patients on terconazole and in 8 on clotrimazole. Results of treatment after 1 week and 4 weeks were considered good to very good for all cases on terconazole and for 37 on clotrimazole; the results for 1 patient on clotrimazole were considered poor. 6 patients on clotrimazole reported burning following application of the cream. To increase the acceptability of antifungal treatment, those drugs with the fewest side-effects, such as burning or unpleasant odour, and which are easiest to apply should be prescribe