Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) — CDC Fact Sheet

In brief

• Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a common, treatable vaginal condition.
• It can happen without sexual activity, but douching and multiple sex partners raise the risk.
• It can increase the risk of other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and of complications in pregnancy.

What BV is

BV happens when there is too much of certain bacteria in the vagina, upsetting the balance between "good" and harmful bacteria. It is the most common vaginal condition in women aged 15 to 44.

How it spreads

Researchers do not know what causes BV, or how sex causes it, but it most often occurs in people who are sexually active and rarely in those who have never had sex. Douching, not using condoms and having new or multiple sex partners can upset the normal balance of bacteria. There is no research showing that treating a sex partner affects whether someone gets BV. You cannot get BV from toilet seats, bedding or swimming pools.

Lowering the risk

Providers and scientists do not fully understand how BV spreads or how best to prevent it. These basic steps may help:

• not having sex;
• limiting your number of sex partners;
• not douching;
• using condoms correctly every time you have sex.

BV in pregnancy

Treating BV during pregnancy is very important. A pregnant person with BV is more likely to have a baby born early or at low birth weight — under 5.5 pounds.

Symptoms and diagnosis

Many people with BV have no symptoms. Those who do may notice:

• a thin white or grey vaginal discharge;
• pain, itching or burning in the vagina;
• a strong fish-like odour, especially after sex;
• burning when peeing;
• itching around the outside of the vagina.

A health care provider can look for signs of discharge during an exam and test a sample of vaginal fluid for BV.

Treatment

A provider can treat BV with antibiotics. If you have symptoms, get checked and treated, and take all the medicine prescribed, even if symptoms go away. Treatment may also lower the risk of other STIs. BV can come back after treatment.

Male partners of women with BV do not need treatment, but BV can spread between female partners.

Without treatment

BV sometimes clears up on its own, but treatment helps avoid its risks:

• getting or passing on HIV;
• giving birth too early, if you have BV while pregnant;
• getting other STIs such as chlamydia and gonorrhea, which can cause pelvic inflammatory disease and make it hard to have children.

Sources

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Bacterial Vaginosis – CDC Fact Sheet, drawing on Workowski and others, Sexually Transmitted Infections Treatment Guidelines, 2021. Its stock photo collage is left out.