Bacterial vaginosis Keeps Coming Back

by K
(USA)

Q I have been treated for bacterial vaginosis for probably a good 6-8 months now. I honestly don't know why or how it continues to come back. Why does this keep occurring? Is there maybe another underlying issue that I may be missing? It's very embarrassing and I'd like to get this taken care of once and for all.

A Bacterial Vaginosis is one of those vaginal problems with a real reputation for coming back after you think you've cured it. It is a very common problem.

After conventional treatment the vagina is left without its normal thriving population of bacteria and unfortunately it seems that the bad bacteria and yeast get a foothold before the good ones do.

The very best results for curing BV permanently have been through treating it with conventional means such as Metronidazole or Clindamycin and following up immediately with Fem Dophilus or one of the brands that contain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14. These two, although they do not colonize the vaginal area, DO take up temporary residence for long enough to allow the usual vaginal Lactobacilli to get reestablished.

My preference is always Metronidazole simply because it is kinder to the Lactobacilli. You can just take the Fem Dophilus but a cure will take longer and is not quite so certain.

Here is a list of commonly considered causes:
taking antibiotics
use of an IUD (intra-uterine contraceptive device)
having multiple sex partners
using tampons
using a diaphragm
starting sexual activity at a young age
oral to genital sexual activity
douching
women having sex with women
menopause

A more recent study claimed that found that a past history of BV, a REGULAR sex partner, and female sex partners were the only factors that were "significantly associated" with BV recurring.

You'll find more about conventional Bacterial Vaginosis treatment here and more about Fem Dophilus here.