How Do You Know You Have Bacterial Vaginosis

Bacterial vaginosis

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a status acquired past changes in the amount of certain types of bacteria in your vagina. BV is common, and whatever adult female can get it. BV is easily treatable with medicine from your doc or nurse. If left untreated, it can enhance your risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and cause bug during pregnancy.

What is bacterial vaginosis (BV)?

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a condition caused by changes in the amount of certain types of leaner in your vagina. BV can develop when your vagina has more harmful bacteria than good bacteria.

Who gets BV?

BV is the nearly common vaginal condition in women ages 15 to 44.¹ But women of any age can go information technology, even if they have never had sexual practice.

You may be more at risk for BV if you:

Accept a new sex partner
Have multiple sex partners
Douche²
Do not employ condoms or dental dams
Are pregnant. BV is mutual during pregnancy. About ane in 4 meaning women get BV.ⁱⁱⁱ The risk for BV is higher for pregnant women considering of the hormonal changes that happen during pregnancy.
Are African-American. BV is twice as common in African-American women as in white women.⁴
Have an intrauterine device (IUD), especially if you lot also have irregular bleeding⁵

How practise you become BV?

Researchers are nevertheless studying how women become BV. Yous tin can get BV without having sex, simply BV is more than mutual in women who are sexually agile. Having a new sexual practice partner or multiple sex activity partners, also as douching, can upset the balance of good and harmful leaner in your vagina. This raises your risk of getting BV.^ane

What are the symptoms of BV?

Many women take no symptoms. If you do have symptoms, they may include:

Unusual vaginal discharge. The discharge can be white (milky) or gray. It may also exist foamy or watery. Some women report a potent fish-like odor, particularly after sex.
Burning when urinating
Itching around the outside of the vagina
Vaginal irritation

These symptoms may be like to vaginal yeast infections and other health problems. Simply your doctor or nurse can tell you for certain whether y'all have BV.

What is the divergence between BV and a vaginal yeast infection?

BV and vaginal yeast infections are both common causes of vaginal discharge. They have similar symptoms, so it tin can exist difficult to know if you have BV or a yeast infection. Only your doctor or nurse can tell you for sure if you take BV.

With BV, your discharge may be white or greyness simply may also take a fishy aroma. Discharge from a yeast infection may also be white or gray but may look like cottage cheese.

How is BV diagnosed?

There are tests to find out if you have BV. Your doc or nurse takes a sample of vaginal discharge. Your doctor or nurse may then expect at the sample under a microscope, use an in-office test, or send it to a lab to check for harmful bacteria. Your md or nurse may besides encounter signs of BV during an exam.

Earlier you run across a doctor or nurse for a test:

Don't douche or use vaginal deodorant sprays. They might embrace odors that can assistance your doctor diagnose BV. They can too irritate your vagina.
Brand an appointment for a solar day when you lot do not have your period.

How is BV treated?

BV is treated with antibiotics prescribed by your doctor.

If you get BV, your male sex partner won't demand to be treated. But, if you lot are female and take a female sex partner, she might too accept BV. If your current partner is female person, she needs to run into her doctor. She may also demand handling.

It is too possible to get BV again. Learn how to lower your chance for BV.

BV and vaginal yeast infections are treated differently. BV is treated with antibiotics prescribed past your doctor. Yeast infections tin be treated with over-the-counter medicines. But you lot cannot treat BV with over-the-counter yeast infection medicine.

What can happen if BV is non treated?

If BV is untreated, possible problems may include:⁶

Higher risk of getting STIs, including HIV. Having BV can raise your run a risk of getting HIV, genital herpes, chlamydia, pelvic inflammatory disease, and gonorrhea. Women with HIV who get BV are besides more likely to laissez passer HIV to a male sexual partner.
Pregnancy bug. BV can pb to premature nascency or a depression-birth-weight babe (smaller than 5 ane/ii pounds at nascency). All significant women with symptoms of BV should exist tested and treated if they have it.

What should I do if I have BV?

BV is easy to treat. If you think you lot have BV:

See a dr. or nurse. Antibiotics will treat BV.
Take all of your medicine. Even if symptoms go away, you demand to finishall of the antibiotic.
Tell your sex partner(s) if she is femaleso she can exist treated.
Avoid sexual contact until you lot terminate your treatment.
Come across your doctor or nurse once more if you take symptoms that don't get away within a few days after finishing the antibiotic.

Is information technology condom to treat pregnant women who accept BV?

Yes. The medicine used to treat BV is safe for pregnant women. All pregnant women with symptoms of BV should be tested and treated if they have it.

If you do have BV, you tin be treated safely at whatever stage of your pregnancy. You volition get the same antibiotic given to women who are not pregnant.

How can I lower my risk of BV?

Researchers practice not know exactly how BV spreads. Steps that might lower your take chances of BV include:

Keeping your vaginal bacteria balanced. Employ warm water only to clean the outside of your vagina. You do non need to apply soap. Even balmy lather can cause irritate your vagina. Ever wipe front to dorsum from your vagina to your anus. Keep the area cool past wearing cotton wool or cotton-lined underpants.
Non douching. Douching upsets the remainder of good and harmful bacteria in your vagina. This may raise your risk of BV. It may also make it easier to get BV once again after treatment. Doctors do not recommend douching.
Not having sex. Researchers are yet studying how women become BV. You tin get BV without having sex, but BV is more than common in women who have sex.
Limiting your number of sex partners. Researchers think that your hazard of getting BV goes up with the number of partners you take.

How can I protect myself if I am a female and my female person partner has BV?

If your partner has BV, yous might be able to lower your risk past using protection during sex.

Utilise a dental dam every time you lot accept sex. A dental dam is a sparse slice of latex that is placed over the vagina before oral sexual activity.
Cover sexual practice toys with condoms before utilize. Remove the rubber and supervene upon information technology with a new i before sharing the toy with your partner.

Did nosotros reply your question about BV?

Sources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). Bacterial Vaginosis.
Klebanoff, M.A., et al. (2010). Personal Aseptic Behaviors and Bacterial Vaginosis.Sexual practice Transm Dis; 37(2):94-9.
Koumans, E.H., Sternberg, 1000., Bruce, C., McQuillan, G., Kendrick, J., Sutton, Yard., Markowitz, Fifty. (2007). The Prevalence of Bacterial Vaginosis in the United States, 2001-2004; Associations with Symptoms, Sexual Behaviors, and Reproductive Health.Sexually Transmitted Diseases;34(xi): 864-869.
Ness, R.B., et al. (2003). Tin can known take chances factors explain racial differences in the occurrence of bacterial vaginosis?J Natl Med Assoc; 95:201–212.
Madden, T. et al. (2012). Run a risk of bacterial vaginosis in users of the intrauterine device: a longitudinal report.Sex Transm Dis;39(3): 217-222.
Centers for Illness Command and Prevention. (2015). Bacterial Vaginosis. Sexually Transmitted Diseases Handling Guidelines, 2015.

The Office on Women's Wellness is grateful for the medical review by:

Centers for Disease Command and Prevention (CDC) staff

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Page last updated: April 1, 2019

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Source: https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/bacterial-vaginosis