What is it?
Bacterial vaginosis is a common vaginal infection. Normally, many types of healthy bacteria live inside the vagina in small amounts. These bacteria keep each other in balance. Bacterial vaginosis occurs when one type of bacteria, such as gardnerella, overgrows in the vagina.
How is it spread?
Bacteria vaginosis may be spread during vaginal sex. However, it also occurs in up to 15% of females who have never had sex.
What are the symptoms?
Many women have no symptoms. Some women may have more discharge from the vagina. This discharge is grayish-white in colour with a fishy odour. You may notice the odour more after sexual intercourse.
How is it diagnosed?
The doctor can often tell if a woman has bacterial vaginosis by looking at the discharge from her vagina. At some clinics, the doctor may be able to look at the discharge under a microscope. A sample of the discharge is also sent to the laboratory for testing. Men are not routinely tested for bacterial vaginosis.
What are the complications?
There are usually no complications. However, bacterial vaginosis is occasionally linked to a condition called pelvic inflammatory disease. Pelvic inflammatory disease is also known as PID. It is a serious infection of the lining of the womb or uterus, the fallopian tubes and the ovaries. Bacterial vaginosis may play a role in premature labour. It may also cause vaginal infection in women after delivery.
How is it treated?
Women without symptoms do not need to be treated. Bacterial vaginosis is usually treated with pills called metronidazole. The commonly known brand name for this drug is Flagyl. Women should not take metronidazole in the first three months of pregnancy, as it has been linked to birth defects and cancer in animals. Nursing mothers should not breastfeed for 24 hours after taking this drug since it can be passed through the breast milk to the baby. Alcohol can react with metronidazole to cause severe nausea and vomiting. Do not drink alcohol during treatment. Avoid alcohol for at least two days after treatment is completed. Bacterial vaginosis is sometimes treated with clindamycin pills or vaginal cream.
What about sexual partners?
Male partners are not treated for bacterial vaginosis.
Is follow up important?
Follow-up is not needed if the symptoms have disappeared.
Remember:
- Take all the medication as prescribed by your doctor or clinic.
- Avoid sex while you and your partner(s) are being treated.
- Avoid douching. Douching is a way of spraying water into the vagina to clean it. The vagina does not need cleaning. Douching may kill the healthy bacteria inside the vagina and allow other bacteria to overgrow and become an infection.
- Do not drink alcohol during treatment and for two days after treatment is completed.
- Use condoms to lower the chance of getting STI's and to prevent pregnancy.
- It is possible to have more than one infection at a time, so it is important to be tested for other STI's.
- If you have more questions, call Public Health 352-7270
For more information contact Public Health at 352-7270 or online at CKhealth@chatham-kent.ca
Information adapted with permission from Elgin - St. Thomas Health Unit.