Only your doctor or nurse can tell you for sure if you have BV. With BV, your discharge may be white or gray but may also have a fishy smell. Discharge from a yeast infection may also be white or gray but may look like cottage cheese. There are tests to find out if you have BV. Your doctor or nurse takes a sample of vaginal discharge. Your doctor or nurse may then look at the sample under a microscope, use an in-office test, or send it to a lab to check for harmful bacteria.
Your doctor or nurse may also see signs of BV during an exam. BV is treated with antibiotics prescribed by your doctor. If you get BV, your male sex partner won't need to be treated. But, if you are female and have a female sex partner, she might also have BV.
If your current partner is female, she needs to see her doctor. She may also need treatment. It is also possible to get BV again.
Learn how to lower your risk for BV. BV and vaginal yeast infections are treated differently. Yeast infections can be treated with over-the-counter medicines. But you cannot treat BV with over-the-counter yeast infection medicine. If BV is untreated, possible problems may include: 6. 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 can be treated safely at any stage of your pregnancy.
You will get the same antibiotic given to women who are not pregnant. For more information about bacterial vaginosis, call the OWH Helpline at , or contact the following organizations:.
Department of Health and Human Services. ET closed on federal holidays. Breadcrumb Home A-Z health topics Bacterial vaginosis. Bacterial vaginosis. Bacterial vaginosis Bacterial vaginosis BV is a condition caused by changes in the amount of certain types of bacteria in your vagina.
What is bacterial vaginosis BV? Who gets BV? You may be more at risk for BV if you: Have a new sex partner Have multiple sex partners Douche 2 Do not use condoms or dental dams Are pregnant. BV is common during pregnancy. About 1 in 4 pregnant women get BV. Are African-American. BV is twice as common in African-American women as in white women. How do you get BV? What are the symptoms of BV? Many women have no symptoms.
If you do have symptoms, they may include: Unusual vaginal discharge. The discharge can be white milky or gray. Low birth weight means having a baby that weighs less than 5. A health care provider will examine your vagina for signs of vaginal discharge.
Your provider can also perform laboratory tests on a sample of vaginal fluid to determine if BV is present. BV will sometimes go away without treatment. But if you have symptoms of BV you should be checked and treated.
It is important that you take all of the medicine prescribed to you, even if your symptoms go away. A health care provider can treat BV with antibiotics, but BV may return even after treatment. Treatment may also reduce the risk for some STDs. Male sex partners of women diagnosed with BV generally do not need to be treated. BV may be transferred between female sex partners.
Box Rockville, MD E-mail: npin-info cdc. Sexually Transmitted Infections Treatment Guidelines, Hillier S and Holmes K.
Bacterial vaginosis. In: K. Holmes, P. Although it is not clear how BV is transmitted, it is more common in women who are sexually active.
It sometimes develops soon after intercourse with a new partner. Women who have female sexual partners may be at higher risk than women who have sex with only male partners. Research has not conclusively found a link between BV and specific sexual practices or acts. However, recent evidence supports the use of condoms to reduce the risk of this infection. Diagnosis is made based on signs and symptoms and lab tests. During a medical examination, your doctor may notice:.
If you have no symptoms, treatment is usually not required as this condition is self-limiting will go away by itself. Seek treatment if:. An antibiotic called metronidazole can be used to treat the infection. If your doctor prescribes metronidazole you will need to:. Your doctor can prescribe a vaginal cream such as clindamycin if you are unable to take metronidazole. Clindamycin is applied to the vagina for seven nights.
Even after treatment, about half of the women with BV will get the condition back within six to 12 months. Treating the male partner of an infected woman does not seem to reduce the risk of recurrence, but further research is being done in this area.
Most cases of BV appear to be associated with sexual activity. Condoms have been shown to protect against infection, and safe sexual practices are recommended for all women, regardless of the gender of their partners.
This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:. Androgen deficiency in women and its treatment is controversial, and more research is needed. Anthrax is a rare but potentially fatal bacterial disease that occasionally infects humans.
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