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Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common cause of vaginal infection (vaginitis).
Symptoms and signs
The most common symptom of BV is an abnormal vaginal discharge with an unpleasant fishy smell. However, nearly half of all women with BV don't notice any symptoms.
Clue cells can also be used in diagnosis.
Causes
A healthy vagina normally contains many microorganisms, one of the common ones being Lactobacillus acidophilus. Lactobacillus appears to help prevent other vaginal microorganisms from multiplying to a level where they cause symptoms. The microorganisms involved in BV include Gardnerella vaginalis, Mobiluncus, Bacteroides, and Mycoplasma. For reasons not well understood, the numbers of these organisms increase with BV while the number of lactobacillus organisms decreases.
Most cases of bacterial vaginosis occur in sexually active women between the ages of 15 and 44, especially after contact with a new partner. Condoms do not appear to provide protection, but use of spermicides increases BV risk somewhat. Although BV appears to be associated with and triggered by sexual intercourse, there is no clear evidence of sexual transmission. Rather, BV is a disordering of the chemical and biological balance of the normal flora. Recent research is exploring the link between sexual partner treatment and eradication of recurrent cases of BV. Pregnant women and women with sexually transmitted infections are especially at risk for getting this infection. Bacterial vaginosis does not usually affect women after menopause.A 2005 study by researchers at Ghent University in Belgium showed that subclinical iron deficiency (anemia) was a strong predictor of bacterial vaginosis in pregnant women. A longitudinal study published in February 2006 in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology showed a link between psychosocial stress and bacterial vaginosis independent of other risk factors.
Treatment
Bacterial vaginosis can be cured by antibiotics such as metronidazole and tetracycline.
See also
External links
"Bacterial vaginosis"