Bacterial Vaginosis

his vaginal infection, like thrush, causes soreness, burning and itching of the vulva but little or no redness or swelling. Symptoms also include a grey or white vaginal discharge with a strong, fishy smell. Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) occurs when the 'good' bacteria normally living in the vagina are wiped out and replaced by 'bad' bacteria.

Because of the similarity of symptoms, it is easy to think you have thrush when you may have BV. For an accurate diagnosis visit your doctor or a clinic where an examination and tests can be carried out to determine what infection is causing your symptoms. BV, unlike thrush, can lead to a more serious internal infection called pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) [Women's Health have an online leaflet on PID]. This can happen under certain circumstances, such as gynaecological surgery. BV may also cause complications during pregnancy.

Treatment for BV consists of a course of antibiotics taken by mouth or an antibiotic cream to be used inside the vagina. BV is not a sexually transmitted infection, and there is no reason to treat your sexual partner. However, if you are having sex with a man, you may want to consider using condoms, as ejaculate may upset the balance between the good and bad bacteria in your vagina.