Is the bacterial vaginosis? Researchers say yes – here it matters

Bacterial vaginosis, one of the most common vaginal disorders worldwide, could actually be a sexually transmitted infection.

This is the message of the authors of a new study published last week in New England Journal of Medicinewhose conclusions could have implications for who is treated for the affection and the type of medicines they receive.

Bacterial vaginosisor BV, it is characterized by an imbalance of bacteria in the vagina and affects about 30% of US breeding women can lead to serious complications, including an increased risk of catching other ITS and developing Pelvic inflammatory disease.

Women with BV are usually treated with a week of antibiotics, taken orally or topically, but the condition has a high resurrection rate – up to 80% of women get the infection in nine months after treatment.

Given the high chances of reinfection, the researchers decided to test a different strategy: the treatment of both the woman and her male sexual partner. They found that this has led to much higher healing rates than the current practice of treating only the woman.

“We, and others, have accumulated a body of evidence to show that BV and BV associated bacteria are sexually transmitted”, authors of study Lenka Vodstrcil and Catriona Bradshaw, researchers at Monash and Melbourne Health Center, Alfred Health, said Alfred Health, said Alfred Health Health in an e -mail.

BV appears when there is an imbalance of “good” and “bad” bacteria in the vagina, according to centers for disease control and prevention.

“The normal flora of the vagina has bacteria that help maintain the healthy vagina, but in BV, other types of bacteria take over,” Sridhar, mdsaid a clinical teacher associated with obstetrics and gynecology at David Geffen School of Medicine Health in a -email.

While many women with BV do not have symptomThose who can experience:

• A thin or gray white vaginal discharge
• Pain, itching or burning in the vagina
• A strong smell like fish, especially after sex
• Burning when you pee
• Itching around the outer of the vagina

The cause of the bacterial imbalance that triggers the BV is not fully understood, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) does not currently classify the state as Know– an infection that is spread by sexual contact.

However, the infection rarely occurs in people who have never had sex, and previous research suggests that the risk of developing BV increases if you are sexually active.

Some studies have also discovered BV associated bacteria in men in both the urethra and the skin of the penis, which suggests that the infection can be changed between partners during sex.

Despite this evidence, a few factors prevented BV from being considered an ITS.

First of all, although it is unusual, people can develop BV without having sex. For some experts and organizations, this means you cannot officially name BV a Sti. Also, men do not usually have BV symptoms. Finally, the studies of the 1980s and 90s that treated BV at both sexual partners failed to prevent re -infection.

Experts have made the finding that proof that BV is not a sti, but studies had an important limitation: only men with an oral antibiotic, not a topical ointment.

“The body of evidence suggesting that BV was sexually transmitted was overwhelming, so we decided to review the partner’s treatment,” Lenka and Bradshaw said. “I decided that a new intervention, which targets both penis sites, is worth reviewing.”

The study included 164 monogamous heterosexual couples, and all female participants had BV. Couples were divided into two groups. In a group, only women received treatment for BV. In the other, women received treatment with men, who took an oral antibiotic and used a topical cream.

After 150 couples completed the 12 -week follow -up period, the study ended early, because the treatment of both partners has far exceeded treatment for women.

In the treatment group only for women, 63% of women became re -infected with BV. Meanwhile, only 35% of women have experienced a resurrection in the partner treatment group.

“Our study found that the reinfection of an ongoing sexual partner is a significant engine of BV recurrence,” the researchers said, “and by adding the male partner to the treatment of women, we now have a simple strategy to reduce BV recurrence.”

It is worth noting that the study followed only women in a monogamous relationship with a male partner, which means that treatment may not be effective for women with more sexual partners.

The process was also conducted in Australia, and most of the participants in the study were born in the Western Pacific and in the European regions. The researchers noted that the prevalence of BV differs depending on the geographical region and the ethnic group, so that the results cannot be generalizable for all settings.

While research is interesting, Sridhar said it is too soon to classify BV as a sti.

“At this moment, the study offers valuable evidence that suggests that treating male partners in heterosexual relationships can contribute to reducing BV recurrence, but does not permanently classify BV as a sexually transmitted infection,” said Sridhar. “If BV were strictly a sti, they would not explain the cases that appear in people who have never been sexually active.”

However, research provides evidence that BV can transfer through sex, said Galars Burstein, MD, MPH, FAAPProfessor of Pediatrics at the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Jacobs at the University of Buffalo and the Commissioner for the Health Department of Erie County.

“The significant reduction in the prevalence of BV recurrence by treating the male sexual partner provides solid evidence that bacteria associated with BV are sexually transmitted,” she said Health in an e -mail.

“Medical service providers already treat sexual partners of patients infected with gonorrhea, chlamydia and Trichomonas To prevent reinfection to the patient, Burstein added.

Shridhar also said that the study will make it consider the treatment of the partner for patients with BV in heterosexual couples. However, she is waiting for professional organizations, such as ACOG, to make official recommendations for treatment.

Lenka and Bradshaw would like to see that. In the meantime, they have developed an Web site This shares new research, informs doctors about the recommended treatment course and provides information that could help people discuss BV with their partners.

“We recognize that for men who have no symptoms, taking drugs can be confused,” the researchers said. “But through this study, we have shown that the treatment of BV can be seen as a common responsibility.”