{"id":23369,"date":"2025-03-06T10:25:41","date_gmt":"2025-03-06T11:25:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/medexperts.pro\/?p=23369"},"modified":"2025-03-06T12:27:11","modified_gmt":"2025-03-06T12:27:11","slug":"common-vaginal-imbalance-may-be-an-sti","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/?p=23369","title":{"rendered":"Common vaginal &#8216;imbalance&#8217; may be an STI"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-component=\"byline-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<div data-testid=\"byline-new\" class=\"sc-b42e7a8f-0 haItSe\">\n<div class=\"sc-b42e7a8f-1 cjDa-dM\">1 hour ago<\/p>\n<p><!--$!--><button disabled type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Share\" class=\"sc-48d6da7e-2 sc-48d6da7e-5 sc-48d6da7e-6 oYtVL dRvUPz dXDmtS\"><span data-testid=\"button-icon-wrapper\" class=\"sc-48d6da7e-0 dMpdqo\"><\/span><span data-testid=\"button-text\" aria-hidden=\"false\" class=\"sc-48d6da7e-1 eihkAj\">Share<\/span><\/button><button disabled type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Save\" class=\"sc-48d6da7e-2 sc-48d6da7e-5 sc-48d6da7e-6 iQJDhl cCYQUA kItbpD\"><span data-testid=\"button-icon-wrapper\" class=\"sc-48d6da7e-0 dMpdqo\"><\/span><span data-testid=\"button-text\" aria-hidden=\"false\" class=\"sc-48d6da7e-1 eihkAj\">Save<\/span><\/button><!--\/$--><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"byline-new-contributors\" class=\"sc-b42e7a8f-12 fcCDwR\">\n<div class=\"sc-b42e7a8f-5 evAEAB\">\n<div><span class=\"sc-b42e7a8f-7 kItaYD\">Michelle Roberts<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Digital health editor, BBC News<!-- --><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--$!--><button disabled type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Share\" class=\"sc-48d6da7e-2 sc-48d6da7e-5 sc-48d6da7e-6 oYtVL dRvUPz dXDmtS\"><span data-testid=\"button-icon-wrapper\" class=\"sc-48d6da7e-0 dMpdqo\"><\/span><span data-testid=\"button-text\" aria-hidden=\"false\" class=\"sc-48d6da7e-1 eihkAj\">Share<\/span><\/button><button disabled type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Save\" class=\"sc-48d6da7e-2 sc-48d6da7e-5 sc-48d6da7e-6 iQJDhl cCYQUA kItbpD\"><span data-testid=\"button-icon-wrapper\" class=\"sc-48d6da7e-0 dMpdqo\"><\/span><span data-testid=\"button-text\" aria-hidden=\"false\" class=\"sc-48d6da7e-1 eihkAj\">Save<\/span><\/button><!--\/$--><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure>\n<div data-component=\"image-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 EXUng\">\n<div data-testid=\"hero-image\" class=\"sc-a34861b-1 jxzoZC\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/medexperts.pro\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/8d1d7800-fa6e-11ef-8249-930055ca9590.jpg.webp\" loading=\"eager\" alt=\"Getty Images A anonymous woman stands with her hands shielding her pubic area\" class=\"sc-a34861b-0 efFcac\" \/><span class=\"sc-a34861b-2 hesJxn\">Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">A common vaginal condition known as bacterial vaginosis (BV) may actually be a sexually transmitted infection (STI), according to researchers.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">The NHS currently says BV is caused by &#8220;a change in the natural balance of bacteria in your vagina and is not an STI&#8221;, even though it can be triggered by sex.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">However, <!-- --><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nejm.org\/doi\/full\/10.1056\/NEJMoa2405404\" class=\"sc-c9299ecf-0 beIoQm\">a study<!-- --><\/a> claims BV &#8211; which affects nearly a third of women worldwide and can lead to infertility, premature births and newborn deaths &#8211; is spread during intercourse and fits the definition of an STI. <!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">The Australian trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found treating sexual partners, not just the patient, can be vital to clear the infection.<!-- --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"sc-518485e5-0 DkKTF\">What is BV?<!-- --><\/h2>\n<figure>\n<div data-component=\"image-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 gfTVSf\">\n<div data-testid=\"image\" class=\"sc-a34861b-1 jxzoZC\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/medexperts.pro\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/grey-placeholder.png\" class=\"sc-a34861b-0 cOpVbP hide-when-no-script\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/medexperts.pro\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/86fd3c90-fa77-11ef-b9f7-eba6ee0aeb85.jpg.webp\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Getty Images A close-up, microscopic view of a type of bacterium that can be linked with BV\" class=\"sc-a34861b-0 efFcac\" \/><span class=\"sc-a34861b-2 hesJxn\">Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">BV is a common cause of unusual vaginal discharge that has a strong fishy smell.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">The colour and consistency may change too, such as becoming greyish-white as well as thin and watery.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">Half of women with bacterial vaginosis do not have any symptoms though.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">Bacterial vaginosis does not usually cause any soreness or itching.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">It can be treated with antibiotic tablets or gels or creams.<!-- --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">In the trial of 164 couples with BV, the researchers achieved higher cure rates by treating BV as an STI, with both sexual partners &#8211; rather than just the woman &#8211; given antibiotics.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">The doctors stopped the study early when it became clear that BV recurrence was halved using this approach.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">One of the lead researchers, Prof Catriona Bradshaw, said: &#8220;Our trial has shown that reinfection from partners is causing a lot of the BV recurrence women experience, and provides evidence that BV is in fact an STI.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">&#8220;Part of the difficulty in establishing whether BV is sexually transmitted has been that we still don&#8217;t know precisely which bacteria are the cause, but advances in genomic sequencing are helping us close in on that mystery,&#8221; she added.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">In the study, run by Monash University and Alfred Health researchers at the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, half of the men got an oral antibiotic and a topical antibiotic cream to apply to the skin for one week, while the control group of men were given no treatment. <!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">Given the findings, the clinic has now changed its clinical practice to routinely treat both partners.<!-- --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">The British Association for Sexual Health and HIV said the findings provided &#8220;valuable evidence supporting what has long been suspected \u2013 that BV-associated bacteria may be sexually transmitted, particularly in those who experience recurrent infections&#8221;. <!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">&#8220;This research enhances our understanding of BV and offers promising insights that may help to guide treatment approaches in more persistent cases,&#8221; said a spokesperson. <!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">If you have symptoms of an STI or concerns about BV, visit your doctor or local sexual health clinic.<!-- --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>1 hour ago<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23369","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23369","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=23369"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23369\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23374,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23369\/revisions\/23374"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=23369"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=23369"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=23369"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}