Frequently Asked Questions
BACTERIAL VAGINOSIS (BV)

What is BACTERIAL				Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) is the name of a condition in 
VAGINOSIS?					women where the normal balance of bacteria in the 
						vagina is disrupted and replaced by an overgrowth of 
						certain bacteria. It is the most common vaginal 	
						infection in women of childbearing age. 

What causes bacterial				BV is assocated with an imbalance in the bacteria that 
vaginosis?					are normally found in a woman’s vagina. The vagina 
						normally contains mostly "good" bacteria, and fewer 
						"harmful" bacteria. BV develops when there is an 	
						increase in harmful bacteria. 

						It is not clear what role sexual activity plays in the 	
						development of BV. Women do not get BV from toilet 
						seats, bedding, swimming pools, or from touching 	
						objects around them. Women that have never had 	
						sexual intercourse are rarely affected.

What are the signs and				Women with BV often have an abnormal vaginal 
symptoms of bacterial				discharge with an unpleasant odor. Some women 
vaginosis?					report a strong fish-like odor, especially after 	
						intercourse. The discharge is usually white or gray, and 
						it can be thin. Women with BV may have burning during 
						urination, itching around the outside of the vagina, or 
						both. Some women with BV report no signs or 	
						symptoms.

How is bacterial vaginosis			A health care provider must examine the vagina for 
diagnosed?					signs of BV and perform laboratory tests on a sample 
						of vaginal fluid to look for bacteria associated with BV.

How is bacterial vaginosis			BV is treated with antimicrobial medicines prescribed 
treated?					by a health care provider. Two different medicines are 
						recommended: Metronidazole or Clindamycin. Either 
						can be used with non-pregnant or with pregnant 	
						women, but the recommended dosages differ. 

 
Who is at risk for 				Any woman can get BV. However, some activities or
bacterial vaginosis?				behaviors can upset the normal balance of bacteria in 
						the vagina and put women at increased risk including: 
						having a new sex partner or multiple sex partners; 	
						douching; and using an intrauterine device (IUD) for 
						contraception.


What are the complications			In most cases, BV causes no complications. But there
of bacterial vaginosis?				are some serious risks from BV including: increasing a 
						woman’s susceptibility to HIV infection if she is 	
						exposed to the HIV virus and increasing the chance 
						that an HIV-infected woman can pass HIV to 	
	    					her sex partner; an increased risk for developing pelvic 
						inflammatory disease (PID) following surgical 	
						procedures such as a hysterectomy or an abortion; 	
						increased risk for some complications of pregnancy 
						and increased susceptibility to other STDs, such as 
						chlamydia and gonorrhea. 

		
How can bacterial 				Basic prevention steps can help reduce the risk of  
vaginosis be prevented?				developing BV: 

						*  Use latex or polyurethane condoms during sex.

						*  Limit the number of sex partners.

						*  Do not douche.

						*  Use all of the medicine prescribed for treatment of 
						    BV, even if the signs and symptoms go away.

For more information:				Call the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at 
						1-800-232-4636, TTY: 1-888-232-6348 In English and Spanish.
						

 
 
 
 
Contact Number: STD Program, (302) 744-1050
Revised: 03/2007   Doc. #35-05-20/07/03/06