Bacterial Vaginosis

What Increases Your Risk

Factors that increase your risk of developing bacterial vaginosis include:

• Starting sexual activity at a young age.
• An infection (or a recent infection) with certain sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
• Having multiple sex partners.
• Having a female sex partner.⁶
• Using an intrauterine device (IUD).
• Douching.

Although bacterial vaginosis can be triggered by or get worse from sexual activity, it does not appear to be an infection that is passed from man to woman. Therefore, experts do not consider bacterial vaginosis to be a male-female sexually transmitted infection. It is possible but not proven that bacterial vaginosis is passed from woman to woman during sexual contact.

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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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