Bacterial Vaginosis

Prevention

To help prevent bacterial vaginosis:

• Limit the number of your sex partners. Multiple sex partners increase your risk of developing bacterial vaginosis by changing the normal environment of the vagina.
• Avoid douching.

Bacterial vaginosis may be passed between women during sexual contact. If you have a female sexual partner, you may benefit from using condoms with or careful washing of shared sex items.⁹

Bacterial vaginosis is not passed between men and women and is not considered a sexually transmitted infection (STI). (But if you are exposed to an STI while you have bacterial vaginosis, you are more likely to be infected by that disease.¹)

It is always important to practice safe sex to prevent sexually transmitted infections, whether or not you have bacterial vaginosis. Preventing an STI is easier than treating an infection after it occurs.

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Author:	Kathe Gallagher, MSW Carrie Henley	Last Updated: June 23, 2006
Medical Review:	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Tom Bailey, MD - Family Medicine Jeanne Marrazzo, MD, MPH - Infectious Disease
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