Ask The Expert
Lots of women have questions about
vaginal discharge and infections. Some of the most common are
answered here by Dr Dawn Harper from TV’s Embarrassing
Illnesses.
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Answered by Dr Dawn Harper from TV's Embarrassing
Illnesses
-
Is BV caused by bad hygiene?
BV is not
caused by poor
hygiene.
In fact,
excessive
washing of the
vagina may
alter the
normal
balance of
bacteria,
which may make
BV more
likely to develop.
-
Is BV a sexually transmitted infection?
BV
is not a sexually transmitted infection – any
male sexual
partners you might have would not
need any
treatment. In addition, you do not need
to be
sexually active to get BV.
To help
clarify a diagnosis, a sample (swab) of the
discharge
may be sent for testing. Other tests
may be done
to rule out the other causes of
vaginal
discharge. However, you may recognise
the symptoms
yourself.
-
What happens if left untreated?
If you
have untreated BV, you may be at an
increased
risk of contracting pelvic inflammatory
disease and
certain STIs such as HIV. The chance
of
developing an infection of the uterus is also
higher after
certain operations such as a
pregnancy
termination. If you have untreated BV
during
pregnancy you have an increased risk of
developing
complications such as early labour or
miscarriage.
There
are a variety of effective treatment options
available to
treat BV such as over the counter
(OTC)
vaginal gels that treat and prevent BV,
antibiotics
and alternative remedies. These will
help to
reduce the risk of experiencing any
complications caused by the infection or
recurrence.
However, antibiotics do not normally
prevent
recurrence and may cause side effects, so
a vaginal
gel could be more suitable. Speak to
your
pharmacist or GP for further information.
-
Is it possible to prevent BV?
When the
natural balance of bacteria in the
vagina is
disrupted, certain bacteria can reach
higher
levels than normal. To prevent this from
happening,
try to take the following precautions:
o Avoid excessive washing (or douching) of the
vagina: this may alter the normal balance of
bacteria and may make the symptoms more
likely to develop
o Try to avoid using perfumed intimate
products
as use of these has been linked
with disrupting the natural vaginal balance
o Use a condom if you notice sex promotes the
symptoms. Semen is quite alkaline and can
alter the natural pH of the vagina
encouraging the overgrowth of unwanted
bacteria