Bacterial Vaginosis (BV)
What is the vagina?
What is bacterial vaginosis (BV)?
BV is a very common vaginal infection that happens when the good and bad bacteria (germs) in your vagina are out of balance. Your vagina normally has many kinds of bacteria in it. Most are good bacteria. The good bacteria help keep your vagina healthy by limiting the growth of bad bacteria. If you have BV, the amount of good bacteria goes down and the amount of bad bacteria goes up.
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You'll likely have a vaginal discharge (thick liquid coming out of your vagina) that's gray or white and smells fishy
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BV usually goes away a few days after starting medicine, but it often comes back
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If untreated, BV can cause serious health problems (such as PID) and complications if you're pregnant
What causes BV?
What are the symptoms of BV?
The main symptoms are:
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Thin vaginal discharge that's gray or white
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Discharge that smells fishy—this smell may be stronger after having sex and during your monthly periods
How can my doctor tell if I have BV?
Your doctor will suspect BV based on your symptoms. To tell for sure, your doctor will do a pelvic exam. During a pelvic exam, your doctor first looks at your vulva and then looks inside your vagina. In order to see inside, your doctor will hold your vagina open with a small instrument called a speculum. Your doctor will take a sample of your discharge (if you have any) to test it.
