STD BACTERIAL VAGINOSIS: TREATMENT RESEARCHING

Some studies have tried to replace the Lactobacillus in the vagina and eliminate the “bad” bacteria through a diet containing yogurt or nutritional supplements (such as acidophilus-containing milk, yogurt, or pills). So far this strategy has been unsuccessful, because the Lactobacillus in yogurt is different from the Lactobacillus in the vagina. Currently, there is no effective way to replace this type of Lactobacillus in the vagina by simply putting it there, although studies continue.

Another “treatment” often prescribed to women, or initiated on their own, is douching. Douching should absolutely be avoided by all women. Not only does douching put women at higher risk for pelvic infections, it only masks symptoms and thus prevents many women from seeking health care for potentially serious problems.

Male partners of women with BV do not need to be treated. There is no evidence that treatment of male partners changes the course of the infection in women, nor does it prevent recurrences of BV If a woman with a male sexual partner is diagnosed with By however, it is reasonable to test both the woman and the man for other sexually transmitted infections, such as chlamydia, since a chlamydia infection can trigger BV in women, as mentioned previously.

A case can be made for treating female partners of women who have BV especially if there is evidence of the infection in the partner. Among women who have sex with other women, BV may be considered a sexually transmitted infection, since female partners of women with BV have a high rate of infection themselves. This may occur through vaginal fluid transmission from the sharing of sex toys.