Bacterial Vaginosis
Also known as vaginitis
Bacterial causes specific symptoms that are different from two other common types of vaginal infections, vaginal yeast infection and trichomoniasis. It is possible to have more than one type of vaginal infection at the same time.
What is bacterial vaginosis?
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a change in the balance of bacteria that are normally present in the vagina, which can cause bothersome symptoms. BV is the most common cause of vaginal symptoms in women of childbearing age.
What are the symptoms?
The most notable symptom of bacterial vaginosis is an excessive, bad-smelling, grayish-white vaginal discharge.
A "fishy" smell, which is usually worse after sex, is a telltale sign of BV.
What risks are related to bacterial vaginosis?
BV is of particular concern when you are pregnant. During pregnancy, BV is linked to complications, such as miscarriage, early delivery, and pelvic infection after childbirth.
Having BV at the time of an invasive pelvic procedure (such as a cesarean delivery, hysterectomy, clinical abortion, endometrial biopsy, or intrauterine device (IUD) placement) increases your risk of developing a pelvic infection
What causes bacterial vaginosis?
The cause of BV is poorly understood. However, a number of known risk factors can lead to a drop in "good" lactobacillus bacteria in the vagina and an increase in less friendly bacteria, whose growth is usually kept in check by higher levels of lactobacillus. These risk factors include sexual activity, history of sexually transmitted disease, douching, and tampon, diaphragm, and IUD use.
BV is sometimes linked to hormonal changes; it is more common around the time of menstruation and is found in up to 23% of pregnant women.
How is bacterial Vaginosis diagnosed?
Bacterial Vaginosis is diagnosed based on your symptoms, a pelvic examination, and a microscope inspection of a sample of vaginal discharge. When low numbers of lactobacillus organisms and higher numbers of other bacteria are present under the microscope, BV is diagnosed.
How is it treated?
BV goes away without treatment about 25% of the time, so treatment isn't always necessary. You will likely be screened and treated for BV if you:
- Are planning an invasive pelvic procedure that could result in an infection.
- Have BV symptoms, especially while pregnant.
- Are pregnant and have a history of preterm delivery that may have been caused by infection.
- Have symptoms that aren't going away on their own.
BV is typically treated with antibiotic medication. If you aren't pregnant, you can choose to take it by mouth (orally) or by inserting it into the vagina; pregnant women are only treated orally.
Antibiotic treatment for BV can lead tovaginal yeast infections because the medications change the balance of organisms in the vagina, allowing an excess of yeast to grow. You may be able to prevent this by regularly eating yogurt with active Lactobacillus acidophilus culture or taking L. acidophilus dietary supplements.
Some women have success with using oral or vaginal lactobacillus by itself to treat bacterial vaginosis.
Because BV is not caused by sexually transmitted organisms, treating your sex partner does not help cure BV.