BV might actually be an STI

Researchers have found that BV (bacterial vaginosis) might actually be an STI

Here’s a pretty major sexual health news update – Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) might actually be a sexually transmitted infection - an STI.   

BV, if you don’t know, has long been described as an imbalance in the bacteria in the vagina, and hasn’t been considered an STI. However, a recent study claims that it’s spread during intercourse and that therefore it fits the STI definition.  

This is a very big deal, because BV affects an astonishing number of women – nearly a third of all women worldwide, and it can lead to some serious health outcomes like infertility, premature births and newborn deaths. According to the BBC, it was an Australian trial that made the discovery.   

Their research included 164 couples with BV, and cure rates were so high the doctors stopped the study early.  

So – what happened in these trials to make them so successful? Simple really, they treated the bacterial vaginosis as an STI – which meant they gave both sexual partners antibiotics, rather than just the woman. Recurrence was halved using this approach. The bottom line is that treating sexual partners, as well as the patient, can be essential to clearing the infection. 

This study was done at the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, and given the findings, the clinic has now changed its practice to routinely treat both partners. 

And if you’re wondering why it’s taken until now for researchers to figure this out – well, part of the reason is because researchers still don’t know exactly which bacteria are the cause. Apparently we’re getting closer to knowing the answers because of advances in genomic sequencing.  

Let us know in the comments what you think of the study!