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A 48-year-old member asked:

I keep getting bacterial vaginosis?

6 doctor answers7 doctors weighed in
Dr. Heidi Fowler
Psychiatry 27 years experience
Bacterial vaginosis: Do you douche? If yes, stop. Have you been treated for it? Treatment options include metronidazole and clindamycin. Relapse treatment: prolonged course of oral or vaginal metronidazole
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Dr. Roy Arnold
Dr. Roy Arnold commented
Internal Medicine 49 years experience
Probiotic foods like yogurt, kimchee, sauerkraut and aged cheeses or probiotic supplements can help too.
May 11, 2015
Dr. Brian Nguyen
Obstetrics and Gynecology 13 years experience
Antibx alternative: Intravaginal boric acid, a 600 mg capsule once nightly for 14 days may be able to help with your problem. This medication is not FDA-approved for this purpose and must be made by a compounding pharmacy. Boric acid can be fatal if swallowed rather than used intravaginally, so be careful around children. A worthwhile option.
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Dr. Georgia Latham
Family Medicine 37 years experience
Prevention: Anything that disrupts the normal pH in the vagina can result in bacterial vaginosis (BV). Some women are more sensitive and have BV repeatedly. Minimize vaginal irritation, avoid hot tubs and whirlpool spas, bubble baths, use mild, nondeodorant soap, rinse soap from your outer genital area after a shower, and dry the area well to prevent irritation. Don't use scented tampons or pads, or douche.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Chevies Newman
Obstetrics and Gynecology 24 years experience
Can be difficult: Difficultto say, if u wear a thong then give that a break. It's like a wick going from back to front. Metro gel vaginal after intercourse or 2x per week usually hels with recurrent vaginosis, the other thing, not likely, is to make sure it's not trichomonas getting passed back and forth. I doubt it.
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Dr. Brian Nguyen
Obstetrics and Gynecology 13 years experience
Alternative Treatmnt: Intravaginal boric acid, a 600 mg capsule once nightly for 14 days may be able to help with your problem. This medication is not FDA-approved for this purpose and must be made by a compounding pharmacy. Boric acid can be fatal if swallowed rather than used intravaginally, so be careful around children. Still it's a worthwhile option when all the antibiotics don't work.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Robert Sterling
A Verified Doctoranswered
47 years experience
Perils of the Vagina: Some people just get recurrences of things,like UTIs or shitty boyfriends.But in your case it could be due to a re-infection or failure of the drugs used to treat it.A longer course of therapy and use of the vaginal gels may help eradicate those bugs.Some asdvocate chronic recurrent therapy.Discuss this with your doc.By the way the name should be Vaginal Bacteriosis. Bacteria don't have vaginas.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.

Similar questions

A 38-year-old member asked:

How do you get tested for bacterial vaginosis?

1 doctor answer2 doctors weighed in
Dr. Stephen Pappachen
Obstetrics and Gynecology 24 years experience
Wet mount: Your ob/gyn could do this basic test or there are other "send out" tests that can be done. Of course, a thorough history (e.g. Malodorous vaginal discharge, itching, irritation, etc...) and physical exam are the cornerstones of any diagnosis.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Loveland, CO
A 49-year-old female asked:

If I have bacterial vaginosis, can my boyfriend get it?

1 doctor answer1 doctor weighed in
Dr. Hunter Handsfield
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
Bacterial vaginosis: The causes of BV are mysterious. Most research shows no problem in the male sex partners of women with BV, and treatment of the partner makes no difference in chance of recurrent BV in women. OTOH, other data suggest that BV is sexually acquired some of the time. If your BV persists or recurs after treatment, plan on avoiding sex with your partner or consistent condoms for next few weeks. Gd luck!
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 22-year-old member asked:

Can you get bacterial vaginosis from your partner?

1 doctor answer3 doctors weighed in
Dr. Reid Blackwelder
Family Medicine 39 years experience
Yes...maybe: Bacterial vaginosis (bv) is usually caused by an imbalance in the bacterial population of the vagina, with more "bad" present than "good." we are not really sure the cause, one seems to be having a new sex partner, or having multiple partners. In general, having a monogamous relationship than has been ongoing for a while makes it less likely that the sex caused the bv.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Reid Blackwelder
Family Medicine 39 years experience
Provided original answer
You may be having a reaction to his semen. Not necessarily an allergy, but sometimes women acn be "allergic to their partner. You could try using a condom to see if that prevents the problem. Eating live yogurt cultures, or taking lactobacillus regularly (available over the counter) might help keep the good bacteria more balanced. Hope this helps
Jan 30, 2012
Drexel Hill, PA
A female asked:

How do u get bacterial vaginosis?

3 doctor answers5 doctors weighed in
Dr. Wayne Ingram
Specializes in Obstetrics and Gynecology
Vaginal pH change: The vagina is kept at a pH(acidity/alkalinity) scale of 4.5 to 5.5.(mildly acidic) by Doderleins bacteria that are "native"(beneficial) to the vagina and maintain a rather constant pH. Several events can abnormally change the pH or kill the "good" bacteria, such as frequent douching, perfumed soap use, non-hygienic sexual partners, and unsanitary dildos. BV thrives on those situations.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 42-year-old member asked:

What is bacterial vaginosis and could men get it as well?

1 doctor answer1 doctor weighed in
Dr. David Rosenfeld
Pain Management 29 years experience
Women only: Bacterial vaginosis (bv) is characterized by disruption of the normal vaginal flora. Present in about 29% of us women of reproductive age, BV is one of the most common causes of vaginal symptoms.1, 2 in addition to symptomatic irritation and a potentially increased risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, BV is associated with a variety of adverse reproductive health outcomes.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.

Related questions

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Why do I continue to get bacteria vaginosis?
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I have bacterial vaginosis. Does this mean i will easily get it again in the future?
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A 27-year-old female asked:
I've had bacterial vaginosis on and off for a year. Does my husband need to get treated?
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Can men get bacterial vaginosis from women? If so, where would the bacteria go in the men?
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Last updated May 1, 2020
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