What is Bacterial vaginosis?

Bacterial vaginosis

What is bacterial vaginosis?

Usually, there are a lot of "friendly" bacteria called lactobacillus in your vagina. They help keep your vagina healthy. If you have bacterial vaginosis, these "friendly" bacteria have been replaced with other bacteria called anaerobes.

Doctors aren't sure what causes bacterial vaginosis. But some things increase your chances of getting it.

Bacterial vaginosis is very common. Millions of women get it.

You might be more likely to get bacterial vaginosis if you:

Source:
McGregor JA, French JI.
Bacterial vaginosis in pregnancy.
Obstetrical and Gynecological Survey. 2000; 55 (supplement 1): S1-S19.

Source:
Wilson J.
Managing recurrent bacterial vaginosis.
Sexually Transmitted Infections. 2004; 80: 8-11.

Source:
Bailey JV, Farquhar C, Owen C.
Bacterial vaginosis in lesbians and bisexual women.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases. 2004; 31: 691-694.

Have a new male sexual partner
Have sex with other women
Have sex at an early age
Have a lot of sexual partners
Have, or once had, a

sexually transmitted infection
An infection that is spread by people having sex is called a sexually transmitted infection (STI) or a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Examples are HIV, gonorrhoea and syphilis.

sexually transmitted infection
Use douches
Smoke
Have an

intrauterine device (IUD)
This is a small copper or plastic device with threads at the end. These threads can be left in the vagina and the device sits in the womb (cervix). It is a form of contraception that stops the egg from sticking to the womb and growing.

IUD (an intrauterine device or contraceptive coil).

Women with bacterial vaginosis have many more types of bacteria in their vaginas than women without bacterial vaginosis.

Source:
Fredricks DN, Fiedler TL, Marrazzo JM.
Molecular identification of bacteria associated with bacterial vaginosis.
New England Journal of Medicine. 2005; 353: 1899-1911.

⁴ And these bacteria are different from the usual types. The vaginas of women with bacterial vaginosis are also less acidic than normal.

Source:
McGregor JA, French JI.
Bacterial vaginosis in pregnancy.
Obstetrical and Gynecological Survey. 2000; 55 (supplement 1): S1-S19.

¹ But we don't know why.

A lot of women seem to get bacterial vaginosis when they are having their period.

Source:
Schwebke JR, Morgan SC, Weiss HL.
The use of sequential self-obtained vaginal smears for detecting changes in the vaginal flora.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases. 1997; 24: 236-239.

⁵

Can I get bacterial vaginosis from my sexual partner?

Bacterial vaginosis seems to be linked in some way to having sex. But researchers don't think you can "catch" it from a male sex partner. The infection does not seem to pass from a man to a woman during sex.

Source:
Joesoef M, Schmid G.
Bacterial vaginosis.
April 2005. Clinical Evidence. (Based on March 2004 search.) Available at http://clinicalevidence.bmj.com/ceweb/conditions/seh/1601/1601.jsp (accessed on 7 Ocotber 2008).

⁶

If you are a female sex partner of a woman who has bacterial vaginosis, some research shows you have a higher chance of being infected, too. But researchers aren't sure why.

Source:
Bailey JV, Farquhar C, Owen C.
Bacterial vaginosis in lesbians and bisexual women.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases. 2004; 31: 691-694.

Sources for the information on this page:

McGregor JA, French JI.Bacterial vaginosis in pregnancy.Obstetrical and Gynecological Survey. 2000; 55 (supplement 1): S1-S19.

Wilson J.Managing recurrent bacterial vaginosis.Sexually Transmitted Infections. 2004; 80: 8-11.

Bailey JV, Farquhar C, Owen C.Bacterial vaginosis in lesbians and bisexual women.Sexually Transmitted Diseases. 2004; 31: 691-694.

Fredricks DN, Fiedler TL, Marrazzo JM.Molecular identification of bacteria associated with bacterial vaginosis.New England Journal of Medicine. 2005; 353: 1899-1911.

Schwebke JR, Morgan SC, Weiss HL.The use of sequential self-obtained vaginal smears for detecting changes in the vaginal flora.Sexually Transmitted Diseases. 1997; 24: 236-239.

Joesoef M, Schmid G.Bacterial vaginosis.April 2005. Clinical Evidence. (Based on March 2004 search.) Available at http://clinicalevidence.bmj.com/ceweb/conditions/seh/1601/1601.jsp (accessed on 7 Ocotber 2008).

This information was last updated on Oct 13, 2008

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2009. All rights reserved.

The information on ConsumerReportsHealth.org should not be viewed as a substitute for a consultation with a medical or health professional. The information is meant to enhance communication with your doctor, not replace it. Consumers Union can not be liable for any loss, injury, or other damages related to your use of this information.

Your use of this information is subject to our User Agreement available at www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org.