What Every Women Needs To Know About
Bacterial Vaginosis & Other Vaginal Infections

Plus Learn what serious women's health risks
result from bacterial vaginosis



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Quick bacterial vaginosis facts:

• BV is a type of vaginal infection that any woman can get.

• Chances are you have heard more about yeast infections than BV, but BV (not yeast) is the most common type of vaginal infection in women of childbearing age.

• BV is often confused with yeast infections - they are not the same thing and they require different types of treatment.

• BV is linked to normal (germs) in the vagina getting out of balance.

All women have mostly "good" and some "harmful" bacteria present in their vaginas.

When harmful bacteria in the vagina increase, or overgrow, V can develop.

Yeast infections are caused by the yeast Candida, which also overgrows when the normal balance of the vagina becomes disturbed.

BV Symptoms - Beware of fish-like order!

The main symptom of bacterial vaginosis is vaginal discharge (fluid from the vagina) with a fish-like odor. Other BV symptoms include:

• Some women say the odor is stronger after having sex

• Discharge can be white (milky) or gray

• Discharge can be thin

• Burning or pain when urinating can occur

• Itching around the outside of the vagina and redness (not common)

• No symptoms at all.

How do women get bacterial vaginosis? When are you at greater risk for getting bacterial vaginosis?

Any woman can get bacterial vaginosis.

While not much is known about how a woman gets bacterial vaginosis, some things can upset the normal balance of bacteria in the vagina and put women more at risk:

• Having a new sex partner or multiple sex partners

• Douching

• Using an intrauterine device (IUD) for birth control

• Rarely affects women who have never had sexual intercourse

• Pregnant women with bacterial vaginosis have more risk for certain problems such as having babies born early or with low birth weight

How can I find out if I have bacterial vaginosis?

The only way to know for sure if you have bacterial vaginosis is to have a lab test

Your health care provider will take a sample of fluid from your vagina and send it to a lab to check for bacterias that are linked to bacterial vaginosis.

Does BV cause any problems?

In most cases, BV doesn't cause any problems. But, there can be some serious risks when a woman has BV:

• Pregnant women with bacterial vaginosis more often have babies who are born early or with low birth weight.

• The bacteria that cause bacterial vaginosis can sometimes cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), an infection of a woman's uterus (womb) and fallopian tubes (tubes that carry eggs from the ovaries to the uterus). PID can cause infertility (not being able to get pregnant). It can also increase a woman's risk for ectopic pregnancy (when a pregnancy occurs outside the uterus), which can be life threatening.

• Having bacterial vaginosis can make a woman more at risk for getting infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

• If a woman has HIV and bacterial vaginosis, she is more likely to pass HIV to her sex partner.

• BV can increase a woman's chances of getting other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), such as chlamydia and gonorrhea.

Don't put yourself at risk - Get treated for bacterial vaginosis!

Bacterial vaginosis is treated with antimicrobial medicines you get from your doctor:

• metronidazole

• clindamycin

Both of these drugs can be used when you are pregnant, however the dosage (or amount of the drug) will differ when you are pregnant.

Women who are HIV positive and have bacterial vaginosis get the same treatment as women who are HIV negative.

Most of the time, male sex partners of women with bacterial vaginosis are not treated. But, your doctor might want to treat the man if the woman's infection is not cleared up with drugs.

Many women do not get treated for bacterial vaginosis which is can lead to serious problem!

BV will not go away on its own and must be treated to relieve symptoms and prevent problems such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).

It is important to know that you can get BV again.

If you have bacterial vaginosis, do you need to worry about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)?

Even though much is not known or understood about bacterial vaginosis, it has been linked with sexual intercourse.

Having bacterial vaginosis can increase your chances of getting infected with HIV or other STDs.

Here are some things you can do to lower your risk for getting an STD:

• Abstinence (don't have sex) or delaying having sex for the first time is another way to reduce your chances of getting an STD. Studies show that the younger people are when having sex for the first time, the more likely it is that they will get an STD

• . The risk of getting an STD also becomes greater over time, as the number of a person's sex partners increases.

• Have a sexual relationship with one partner who doesn't have any STDs, where you are faithful to each other (meaning that you only have sex with each other and no one else).

• Practice "safer sex." This means protecting yourself with a condom EVERY time you have vaginal, anal, or oral sex
  
  For vaginal sex, use a latex male condom or a female polyurethane condom. For anal sex, use a latex male condom. If needed, use only water based lubricants with male and female condoms. For oral sex, use a dental dam - a device used by dentists, made out of a rubbery material, that you place over the opening to the vagina before having oral sex. If you don't have a dental dam, you can cut an unlubricated male condom open and place it over the opening to the vagina.
  
  Even though it may be embarrassing, if you don't know how to use a male or female condom, talk to your health care provider. The biggest reason condoms don't work is because they are not used correctly.

• Be aware that condoms don't provide complete protection against STDs. But, they do decrease your chances of getting an STD. Know also that other methods of birth control, like birth control pills, shots, implants, or diaphragms don't protect you from STDs. If you use one of these methods, be sure to also use a condom every time you have sex.

• Limit your number of sexual partners. Your risk of getting an STD increases with the number of partners you have.

• Don't douche. Douching removes some of the normal bacteria in the vagina that protects you from infection. This can increase your risk for getting an STD.

• Learn how to talk with your partner about STDs and using condoms. It's up to you to make sure you are protected. The organizations in the "For more information" at the end of this FAQ have tips for talking with your partner. You can also talk with your health care provider about this.

• When you are sexually active, especially if you have more than one partner, get regular exams for STDs from a health care provider. Tests for STDs can be done during an exam. And, the earlier an STD is found, the easier it is to treat.

• Learn the common symptoms of STDs. Seek medical help right away if you think you may have an STD.

What should you do if you have bacterial vaginosis?

If you have BV:

• Get it treated right away. Having BV increases your risk for getting PID or for getting infected with an STD.

• Follow your health care provider's orders and finish all the medicine that you are given. Even if the symptoms go away, you still need to finish all of the medicine.

• Avoid having any sexual activity while you are being treated for BV.

• Be sure to get a follow-up test to make sure that the infection has been cured.

• If the infection comes back, talk with your health care provider about having your sexual partners treated. Keep in mind, though, that there has been no evidence to date that sexual partners benefit from treatment.

What should you do if you think you have an STD?

Sometimes a person may be too scared or embarrassed to ask for information or help. But, keep in mind most STDs are easy to treat.

Early treatment of STDs is important.

The quicker you seek treatment, the less likely the STD will cause you severe harm. And the sooner you tell your sex partners about having an STD, the less likely they are to spread the disease to others (because they can get treated).

Doctors, local health departments, and STD and family planning clinics have information about STDs. The American Social Health Association (ASHA) has free information and keeps lists of clinics and doctors who provide treatment for STDs. Call ASHA at (800) 227-8922. You can get information from the phone line without leaving your name.

For More Information...

You can find out more about bacterial vaginosis (BV) by contacting the National Women's Health Information Center (800) 994-9662

Do you still have a bacterial vaginosis question or concern? Call a STD Support Hotline

 

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This article was adapted from "BACTERIAL VAGINOSIS" at http://www.4woman.gov/faq/stdbv.htm