Bacterial Vaginosis; Overview.Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common of three vaginal infections that fall under the category known as vaginitis vaginitis Inflammation of the vagina. The chief symptom is a whitish or yellowish vaginal discharge. Treatment depends on the cause: appropriate drugs for sexually transmitted diseases (often from Gardnerella bacteria or trichomonads) or yeast infections; estrogen cream for . The other two infections are trichomoniasis trichomoniasis (trĭk'əmənī`əsĭs), sexually transmitted disease caused by the parasitic protozoan Trichomonas vaginalis. , a sexually transmitted disease sexually transmitted disease (STD) or venereal disease, term for infections acquired mainly through sexual contact. Five diseases were traditionally known as venereal diseases: gonorrhea, syphilis, and the less common granuloma inguinale, , and the fungal infection commonly known as a yeast infection. BV is the least understood and most often ignored or misdiagnosed of these conditions. However, it is gaining more attention as more research shows that untreated BV can lead to significant health complications, including premature delivery, postpartum infections, clinically apparent and subclinical pelvic inflammatory disease pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), infection of the female reproductive organs, usually resulting from infection with the bacteria that cause chlamydia or gonorrhea. (PID), post-surgical complications (after abortion, hysterectomy, cesarean section and other reproductive procedures), increased vulnerability to HIV infection and, possibly, infertility. As many as one-third of pregnant women in the United States have BV. BV is not considered a sexually transmitted disease. Although it is less common in women who have never had sex, there is evidence that it could be linked to having a new sex partner or multiple sex partners. Also, douching appears to increase the risk of developing BV. BV has gone by different names in the past, including non-specific vaginitis and Gardnerella vaginalis vaginitis. BV is a lot simpler to remember but there is nothing simple about this condition and it is not harmless, as was once believed. BV is actually a syndrome resulting from an imbalance in the different types of bacteria in the vagina (also called vaginal "flora"). A healthy vagina has numerous organisms that naturally live there. The vast majority--about 95 percent--belong to a type of bacteria called lactobacillus lactobacillus Any of the rod-shaped, gram-positive (see gram stain) bacteria that make up the genus Lactobacillus. They are widely distributed in animal feeds, manure, and milk and milk products. . There are several different kinds of lactobacillus, at least one of which is responsible for keeping the vagina's pH at normal levels. When these levels become unbalanced, the certain microorganisms may overtake the normal flora leading to a low-grade infection that often produces an abnormal vaginal discharge. References Bacterial Vaginosis. National Women's Health Information Center. http://www.4woman.gov. Updated May 2005. Accessed September 2005. STD Facts: Vaginitis (Most Common Causes: Yeast Infection, Trichomonas, Bacterial Vaginosis)." Minnesota Department of Health. 2004. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), agency of the U.S. Public Health Service since 1973, with headquarters in Atlanta; it was established in 1946 as the Communicable Disease Center. National Prevention Information Network (NPIN). http://www.cdcnpin.org. Accessed September 2005. "Bacterial Vaginosis." Feminist Women's Health Center. 2002. http://www.fwhc.org. Accessed September 2005. Lactobacillus Organisms and Bacterial Vaginosis. Saint Joseph Mercy Health System Mercy Health System is a non-profit health care provider and hospital based in Janesville, Wisconsin, with over 50 facilities in over 20 communities across a seven-county area including parts of Illinois. . Updated May 19, 2004. http://www.sjmercyhealth.org. Accessed September 2005. Secor, R. Mimi. "Bacterial Vaginosis." Clinician Reviews. 11(11):59-68, 2001. Yen, Sophia, et al. "Bacterial Vaginosis in Sexually Experienced and Non-Sexually Experienced Young Women Entering the Military." Obstetrics & Gynecology. 102(5):927, November 2003. Rakel, Robert, and Edward Bope, eds. Conn's Current Therapy 2004: Latest Approved Methods of Treatment for the Practicing Physician. 56th edition. St. Louis: Saunders, 2004. Page 119. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually transmitted diseases treatment guidelines 2002. MMWR MMWR Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report Epidemiology A news bulletin published by the CDC, which provides epidemiologic data–eg, statistics on the incidence of AIDS, rabies, rubella, STDs and other communicable diseases, causes of mortality–eg, 2002;51(No. RR-6) "Vaginitis Due to Vaginal Infections." National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Health Matters. October 2004. http://www.niaid.nih.gov. Accessed September 2005. Connett, H. What you need to know about bacterial vaginosis. STD Advisor, 1999; Vol. 2. Insert. The Hidden Epidemic: Confronting Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Institute of Medicine. Washington, D.C. National Academy Press, 1997. Bacterial Vaginosis--CDC Fact Sheet. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov. Last updated: May 2004. Accessed September 2005. Bacterial Vaginosis. American Family Physician, March 15, 1998. http://www.aafp.org. Accessed September 2005. Bacterial vaginosis and preterm birth: a comprehensive review of the literature. J Nurse Midwifery. 43(2):83-9, Mar-Apr 1998. Urinary Tract Infections in Adults. National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NKUDIC). NIH Publication 04-2097. November 2003. http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov. Accessed September 2005. Keywords: bacterial vaginosis, vaginitis, bv, sexually transmitted disease, infection, hiv, women |
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