Noticed a watery, white or grey discharge in your pants, along with a strong fishy smell? These could be signs of bacterial vaginosis (BV) – although only a test by a doctor or nurse can tell you for sure.
Noticed a watery, white or grey discharge in your pants, along with a strong fishy smell? These could be signs of bacterial vaginosis (BV) – although only a test by a doctor or nurse can tell you for sure.
About 1 in 3 women will have BV at some point. But many will have no symptoms at all. You may be reading this because you’ve been diagnosed with it and want to find out more. Or perhaps you’ve had it in the past, and want to make sure it doesn’t come back.
“You may wonder what’s causing your symptoms, and feel anxious it might be something serious,” says Dr Adiele Hoffman, Healthily Clinical Content Reviewer. “Or if you know it’s BV, you might be confused about how you got it, and what it means for you and your sex life. Some women say they feel self-conscious, and uncomfortable about being intimate. While others say they feel ashamed. There’s also still a stigma about talking about problems that affect our genitals. But BV is easily treated – so read on to get the information and help you need.”
BV isn’t considered a
(STI), although it can be linked to having sex. It’s caused by an imbalance of bacteria in your vagina.It’s the most common cause of
in women aged 15 to 44, and you can also get it during the lead-up to the menopause ().BV is usually nothing serious, and a course of antibiotics should sort it. It can occasionally be more serious if you’re
– but your doctor can help you get the right treatment.However, having BV can be uncomfortable and inconvenient, and up to 80% of women get it again within 3 months of
. So it’s important to know how to identify and manage BV – and about the everyday tweaks you can make to stop it coming back.About 50% of women have no obvious symptoms of BV. But if you notice a change in your vaginal discharge, check the:
Both BV and
are common, non-STI causes of abnormal vaginal discharge.But only a test by a doctor or nurse can tell you for certain if it’s BV, thrush or something else that’s causing your symptoms.
Find useful information on other areas of vaginal health with our .
There isn’t a simple answer to this. So far, scientists haven’t found a germ that directly causes BV. But it seems to happen when you get an overgrowth of some of the bacteria that live in your vagina.
Like your gut, your vagina is home to a community of bacteria. Normally, they stay in balance and help keep your vagina healthy.
But with BV, you get more anaerobic bacteria (bacteria that grow in an environment without air), and less lactobacilli bacteria – sometimes known as ‘good’ bacteria. This imbalance makes your vagina less acidic than normal.
Experts don’t know exactly what causes the delicate balance of bacteria in your vagina to change and cause BV. But some things seem to raise the risk:
Hang on – didn’t we say BV wasn’t an STI? That’s right: it isn’t caused by a germ that can be passed on during sex. And women who’ve never had sex can still get it.
But being sexually active does seem to be a trigger for BV (as it is for thrush). And a change of sexual partner, or having lots of partners, can raise your risk. Scientists don’t fully understand why, but sex seems to affect the balance of bacteria in your vagina.
Sex can be a BV trigger, whatever gender your partner is. Although it’s less likely if you have a male partner who’s circumcised. If you have sex with women, you may be at particular risk of getting or passing on BV.
Other things that may trigger BV by affecting your vagina’s bacterial balance include:
BV is generally mild, and usually clears up with treatment. But there are a few situations where it may be more serious:
Making a few tweaks to your routine can help to lower your chances of getting BV. Try to:
You should always see a doctor if you think you might have BV, so they can diagnose and treat you.
Without a test, it’s hard to know if it’s BV or something else, such as thrush or an STI. This means you might get the wrong treatment from a pharmacy, which won’t work.
If you prefer, you can go to a local sexual health clinic rather than your doctor. They’re more anonymous, you can often get a walk-in appointment, and you may get test results more quickly.
You can also buy self-testing kits from a pharmacy, but they aren’t as accurate as those your doctor will use.
You should also see a doctor if:
Use our
to help you talk about symptoms in your appointment.When you see a doctor, they’re likely to:
Many people feel a bit embarrassed seeing a doctor about a vaginal problem. But remember, they’re there to help you, and they’re very used to treating these sorts of issues – they’ve seen it all before.
It can help to be prepared, especially if you’re feeling uncomfortable. Beforehand, make a note of a few things you may want to discuss, such as:
If your doctor diagnoses BV, you have 2 treatment options:
It’s thought that up to 80% of women get BV symptoms within 3 months of treatment. If this happens, your doctor may:
If you get BV more than twice in 6 months, you may need to try taking treatment over a longer period – for up to 6 months.
Probiotics – ‘good’ bacteria – are available to buy, and can either be taken orally or inserted into your vagina. A small number of trials have shown these may be helpful in treating BV, although larger studies are needed.
In 1 small trial, women who had taken a course of antibiotics for BV then inserted a probiotic called lactobacillus crispatus (Lactin-V) into their vagina for 11 weeks. These women were found to be less likely to get BV again within 12 weeks, compared with those who hadn’t taken the probiotic.
“No – a penis doesn’t have the same community of bacteria. But a man can carry bacteria linked with BV on his penis. This means your risk of BV is higher if you have lots of partners and have unprotected sex, as you’re more likely to come into contact with bacteria.”
“As discussed, BV isn’t an STI. And if you’re having sex with a man, you don’t need to worry about giving them BV – although some people may feel self-conscious about sex if they have symptoms. However, if you have sex with a woman, you can pass BV to them. So if you or a female sexual partner has BV, use a dental dam (a thin piece of latex you place over your vagina), and condoms on any sex toys (using a new condom before sharing the toy with your partner). It’s best to take these protective measures until BV has been successfully treated.”
Important: Our website provides useful information but is not a substitute for medical advice. You should always seek the advice of your doctor when making decisions about your health.