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You might have a discharge from your vagina. It can have a fishy odor. But you might not get symptoms.

About half the women who have bacterial vaginosis don't notice any symptoms.¹

Keep in mind that many other things, such as having a yeast infection, can cause a discharge from your vagina. But bacterial vaginosis is the most common cause.

Also, it is normal to have some discharge from your vagina, and it can change in its appearance or thickness at different times of the month.

Your doctor will take a sample of the fluid from your vagina if he or she thinks you have bacterial vaginosis. He or she will use a cotton swab to do this and will send the sample to a lab for testing.

Doctors say you have bacterial vaginosis if you have at least three of the following four signs:^{1 2}

• A thin gray or white vaginal discharge that sticks to the walls of your vagina
• Vaginal fluid that is less acidic than usual
• A fishy odor when a chemical (potassium hydroxide) is added to a sample of your vaginal fluid
• "Clue" cells when your vaginal fluid is examined under a microscope. (These are cells with a lot of bacteria stuck to them.)

Your doctor might also look at your vaginal fluid under a microscope to check for the types of bacteria that you get in bacterial vaginosis.³

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 2008. All rights reserved.