Can’t Stop Itching? It might be Bacterial Vaginosis.

Nnena paid the bike rider his fare and headed towards the consulting room of the general hospital. She had experienced quite a difficult time the past week. Worse off, it was something she did not even want to tell her new boyfriend Emeka about.
Her vagina had been itchy for over a week, and it was becoming embarrassing at work with her often changing her sitting positions while attending to clients in order to get some relief from the itching. The color and smell of her vaginal discharge had also changed lately and the fishy smell did not seem to go away even though she regularly used a lot of expensive vaginal cleansers. “Oh well”, she thought, “this should be over soon”. At least she had finally made time out from work to see a doctor. As she entered the consulting room and spotted a female doctor, Nnenna felt relieved…She had actually spent half of the time on her way to the hospital, wondering how she was going to talk to a male doctor about her symptoms. After a few minutes of describing her symptoms to the doctor, the doctor examined her and disclosed to her that she possibly had bacterial vaginosis and recommended some tests.

WHAT IS BACTERIAL VAGINOSIS?

Bacterial vaginosis is a type of vaginal infection caused by the overgrowth of bacteria naturally found in the vagina, which upsets the natural balance. It is one of the most common types of vaginal infection. It is a condition that happens when there is too much of certain bacteria in the vagina. This changes the normal balance of bacteria in the vagina, resulting in infection.

WHAT CAUSES BACTERIAL VAGINOSIS?

A type of good bacteria called “lactobacillus” keeps the vagina slightly acidic so that bad bacteria don’t grow well in it. If the lactobacillus levels drop, more bad bacteria move in, and grow and you get bacterial vaginosis.

Some of the factors that can affect these good bacteria and cause an increase in the bad bacteria include:

1. Sexual activity: A new sex partner, or having more than one sex partner, makes it more likely that you’ll get bacterial vaginosis. A person can get bacterial vaginosis from oral and anal sex. It rarely affects women who have never had sex.

2. Douching: Which means washing out the vagina. Douching upsets the natural balance of bacteria. Also, scented soaps, bubble baths, and vaginal deodorants affect the normal bacteria of the vagina.

You cannot get bacterial vaginosis from toilet seats, bedding, or swimming pools.

HOW COMMON IS BACTERIAL VAGINOSIS?

Bacterial vaginosis is the most common vaginal condition in women ages 15-44.

Studies have shown that approximately 29% of women in the U.S. are affected.

The rate is higher in black women.

Most women found to have bacterial vaginosis have no symptoms.

Women who have not had vaginal, oral, or anal sex can still be affected by bacterial vaginosis, and pregnant women and women who have never been pregnant may also be affected.

WHAT ARE THE COMMON SYMPTOMS OF BACTERIAL VAGINOSIS?

Many women with bacterial vaginosis do not have symptoms. Those who have symptoms may notice:

• A thin white or gray vaginal discharge; which may be watery and thin, and have an unpleasant fishy smell
• Pain, itching, or burning in the vagina;
• A strong fish-like odor, especially after sex;
• Burning when urinating;
• Itching around the outside of the vagina.

Between 50 and 75 percent of women with bacterial vaginosis have no symptoms. Bacterial vaginosis alone is not considered harmful, but complications can arise. Complications that have been linked to BV include:

1. A higher risk of infections like:

• HIV infection, because bacterial vaginosis makes one more prone to the virus.
• Sexually transmitted infections, such as the herpes simplex virus, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and human papilloma virus (HPV)
• Post-surgical infection, for example, after a termination of pregnancy or after  a hysterectomy (a procedure done to remove the womb).

Possible complications of bacterial vaginosis during pregnancy include:

1. Early, or preterm delivery.
2. Loss of pregnancy
3. An irritation or inflammation of the lining of the womb after delivery
4. Infertility, caused by damage to the fallopian tubes, which connect the ovaries to the uterus
5. Chorioamnionitis: an inflammation of the membranes surrounding the unborn baby, medically known as the chorion and the amnion
6. In-vitro fertilization (IVF) may be less likely to succeed if a woman has BV.

7. It also increases the risk of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), an infection and inflammation of the upper female genital tract that can have serious effects including infertility.

HOW IS IT DIAGNOSED?

A doctor will examine your vagina for signs of vaginal discharge. Your doctor can also perform laboratory tests on a sample of vaginal fluid to determine if bacterial vaginosis is present.

HOW IS BACTERIAL VAGINOSIS TREATED?

Antibiotics are the mainstay of therapy for bacterial vaginosis.

Recommended treatment include:

• Metronidazole 500 mg orally twice a day for 7 days

OR

• Metronidazole gel 0.75%, one full applicator (5 g) intravaginally, once a day for 5 days

OR

• Clindamycin cream 2%, one full applicator (5 g) intravaginally at bedtime for 7 days

Allow your doctor to guide you on how to use these medicines. 

Finish all your medicine, even if the symptoms go away. If you stop early, the infection could come back.

Since bacterial vaginoiss can be spread through sex, don’t have sexual contact until you’re done taking your medicine and your symptoms are gone. 

Even after BV is treated and goes away, it often returns. If that happens, you’ll probably need to take antibiotics again for a longer time.

If you use an intrauterine device and bacterial vaginosis keeps coming back, you may want to talk to your doctor about a different type of birth control. You can speak with a Doctor here

HOW TO PREVENT BACTERIAL VAGINOSIS

Steps that might lower your risk of BV include:

1. Keeping your vaginal bacteria balanced: Use warm water only to clean the outside of your vagina. You do not need to use soap. Even mild soap can irritate your vagina. Always wipe front to back from your vagina to your anus. Keep the area cool by wearing cotton or cotton-lined underpants.
2. No douching: Douching upsets the balance of good and harmful bacteria in your vagina. This may raise your risk of bacterial vaginosis. It may also make it easier to get bacterial vaginosis again after treatment. Doctors do not recommend douching.
3. Not having unprotected sex: You can get bacterial vaginosis without having sex, but bacterial vaginosis is more common in women who have unprotected sex.
4. Limiting your number of sex partners: Your risk of getting bacterial vaginosis goes up with the number of partners you have.

By observing these simple tips, you can lower your chances of getting bacterial Vaginosis and the complications that may follow.