Is Bacterial Vaginosis a STD or is it just a woman thing?
Thursday, March 11th, 2010 at
4:39 pm
About me
My
name is Lesli Paterson, right now I live in Oregon, I have 2 kids a 4
year old boy and a 2 year old.
I set up this blog in hopes to help women who are suffering with Bacterial Vaginosis (BV). I hope to hear from you.
A woman thing.
((EDITED))
Both. Women who have never had sex are very seldom affected by this. It is not known why. Here is everything you need to know about it from the Centers for Diseaese Control website:
http://www.cdc.gov/std/bv/STDFact-Bacterial-Vaginosis.htm
To the person who said it is a bacteria and needs an antibiotic: You could not be more wrong.
Antibiotics will furthur exacerbate the problem and create a very unpleasent situation. While I am sure no competent Dr. would prescribe one I would hate for someone to take this persons advice.
What is needed is a probiotic to restore the “good bacteria” in the body. Yogurt has these good bacterias as well as over the counter Probiotic suppliments.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11339841&dopt=Abstract
http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/updates/update0905c.shtml
http://sti.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/80/1/8
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a change in the balance of bacteria that are normally present in the vagina, so no it is not an std. It’s not usually necessary for your sex partner to be treated.
Its just bacteria…..needs an antibiotic…check webmd.com and then see a doc hun.
Bacterial vaginosis is a mild infection in the vagina caused by a type of bacteria (germ). The vagina normally contains a lot of “good” bacteria, called lactobacilli (say: “lack-toe bah-sil-li”), and a few other types of bacteria, called anaerobes (say: “ann-air-robes”). Too many anaerobes can cause bacterial vaginosis. We don’t know why the anaerobe bacteria overgrow and cause this infection
It can be either one. A woman’s vagina can be infected with bacteria from her sexual partner (which would make it an STD) or else improper wiping after a BM or perhaps certain medications which allowed proliferation of the bacteria. Also, spas and hot tubs are teeming with bacteria, and may cause vaginosis.
No its not an STD if it was then you would have another name for it… Bacterial Vaginosis is like another name for thrush…
EG; If you cut yourself and dont treat it then it will get infected.. Just like that .. you have some form of thrush which needs to be treated. Please see your doctor for the best advice. It would be better if you could see your gyno as he/she is fully qualified in this field/department.lol . Let me know how you go… Good luck.
Depends on what kind of bacterial infection it is, ask the doctor. Mostly, bacterial infections like the one you are referring to comes strictly from being a dirty woman. Wearing too tight of clothes that gives this bacteria a chance to develop will help develop this. If you think you are developing this, get to the doctor right away for the right medication before you start some real suffering. In the mean while, douche with a pre mixed mild vinegar and water that you buy at the store and throw the empty bottles away.
It’s not a STD, it’s just an regular infection, like yeast infections.
ONLY LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE THAT SAID IT CAN BE BOTH!!!!!!!
I know from PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. It’s symptoms are just like those of a yeast infection, except with the vaginosis there is a foul smelling Oder. you must get treated for it by a doctor, there are no over the counter medicines that will cure it!! Until it is treated and cured, you should use protection when having intercourse. I did not know this, and my boyfriend, now husband, kept giving it back to me, and i had to be treated for it more than once!
AND NO you don’t get it from ‘being dirty’, and sorry nurse but this doesn’t sound like your area of expertise!
Good Luck and go to the Ob/Gyn.
periwinkle is incorrect. I worked in womens health and we prescribe antibiotics to cure BV.
Just a woman thing. This can happend for hormonal change, and things like that, things that the man, dont understand
BV is caused by several different kinds of bacteria. yes a woman who has never had sex can get it, but more than likely it is transmitted thru sex. meaning if someone is cheating or if having unprotected anal sex than going to vaginal sex can cause it. if not taken care of by both partners it will be spread back and forth continually. Men usually have no symptoms of this but will reinfect their partner which can cause PID, cancer, and/or problems conceiving children or having children at all.
i am a nurse practitioner and as one who treats STDs and BV nearly daily, i am horrified by some of these answers you have gotten. there is still some controversery to calling BV an STD. However, I recently got information that while BV has an incident rate of 3% in NUNS(!!), prositiutes have a 70% or more incident rate. now, that said, anyone can get these when, for when whatever reason, the vaginal flora and pH are skewed, be it sexual contact, douching, etc. IT IS A BACERIAL INFECTION!!! IT DOES REQUIRE ANTIBIOTICS TO CURE! but is it very curable and very common. please feel free to email me if you have more questions. BV does not cause cancer, though it can lead to severe PID that can cause infertility and other problems.
It is a bacteria that CAN be transmitted to your partner, but it’s not classified as an STD. I had it years ago and my husband (but before we were married) was treated as well as I was just to make sure I didn’t keep getting it back. It was treated with common anti-biotics.
Now before you freak out and think your feller has been cheating on you.. it’s not that much different then a yeast infection.
My doctor at the time told me to stop using douche because that is probably why my normal bacteria levels became so messed up. Douching kills the good natural bacteria as well as the bad, but plain old soap and water are just as effective as killing the bad without killing the good bacteria. Of course, the more I smelled, the more frequently I used douche.
So, go get an Rx for it.. I don’t think they bother treating the partner now, both of you wash daily with any kind of soap you like and don’t use douche any more.