What causes bacterial vaginosis and how is it diagnosed?
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common cause of vaginal discharge in women of childbearing age. Bacterial vaginosis is not caused by a particular organism but by a change in the balance of normal vaginal bacteria or a change in the PH balance. Vaginal PH is usually between 3.8-4.5. THE PH SCALE 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Acid Neutral Alkaline The cause of BV is not fully understood. Bacterial vaginosis is caused by an overgrowth of harmful bacteria in the vagina due to the depletion of lactobacillus. The vagina normally contains a lot of good bacteria called lactobacilli and some other bacteria called anaerobes. Too many anaerobes can cause this imbalance. Bacterial vaginosis is most common among sexually active women although this is not always the case. You are more at risk of getting BV if you have multiple sex partners, have an intrauterine device as birth control or if you douche. HOW IS BACTERIAL VAGINOSIS DIAGNOSED There are several tests that can be done to establi
