Sex With Swoozy: My Probiotics Bring All The Lactobacilli To The Yard
Did you know that at any given time, almost 30% of reproductive-age vaginas are suffering from bacterial vaginosis (BV)? How about that even after successful treatment with antibiotics, 50% will have a recurrence within one year?
Millions of people struggle with recurrent BV, which can be painful and potentially harmful to your reproductive system. Sometimes, the antibiotics used to treat it can make things even worse. But no need to be jealous of those other *healthy* vaginas — probiotics might be your answer!
What Is BV?
BV is an infection caused by the overgrowth of bacteria in the vagina that replaces the Lactobacillus bacteria that should be there. According to the CDC, it’s the most common cause of vaginal symptoms, including itching, burning, milky or gray discharge and a strong, fishy odor. However, most women with BV don’t have any symptoms at all.
Why Is It So bad?
Aside from giving you a fiery vagina from hell, BV changes the bacterial makeup and pH of your vagina, putting you at higher risk for getting and spreading STDs, as well as premature delivery if you’re pregnant. It can also lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, which can leave you unable to get pregnant.
How the Hell Did I Get This?!
To be honest, no one really knows. We only know what puts people at risk for BV: new sex partners, multiple sex partners and douching. All of these things can upset the beautiful bacterial balance in your vagina, leaving you more susceptible to BV.
What’s Up With These Antibiotics?
Standard medical treatment for BV is a course of antibiotics — commonly metronidazole, clindamycin and a couple others. For the most part, they come as oral pills or topical creams, with the creams having fewer GI side effects (nausea, vomiting, etc.).
Fortunately for vaginas across the nation, there has been very little resistance built up by the offending bacteria and treatment with these antibiotics is usually successful. However, the antibiotics don’t prevent recurrence and can cause yeast infections, requiring even more medication and causing further vaginal flora imbalances. If recurrent BV is your problem, taking multiple courses of antibiotics make you much more likely to end up with recurrent yeast infections as well.
So How Do I Deal With This?
The antibiotics are, of course, always an option, and often a good one. However, it is not the only option. Taking a probiotic that contains Lactobacillus reuteri and Lactobacillus rhamnosus can be just as effective as taking metronidazole. These probiotics come both in pill form and as vaginal suppositories. If putting a capsule of bacteria in your vagina every night doesn’t seem like fun to you, you’re in luck! More and more studies are showing that the pills are just as effective as the suppositories.
One of the great things about taking probiotics is that there have been no reported side effects, which, in medicine, is kind of a miracle.
How Do I Avoiding Recurrence?
Unfortunately, for some women, recurrent BV will be a struggle no matter what. But for most women, it can be prevented.
Firstly, you can keep up on those probiotics. Whether your initial treatment was with antibiotics or probiotics, maintaining a regimen of probiotics even after your are cured can keep your vagina healthy and happy. One study followed up 11 months later with women, previously diagnosed with recurrent BV, continuing an oral probiotic daily on a seven days on, seven days off regimen after treatment. Less than 11% of them were confirmed to have BV.
Another way to prevent BV is to reduce your risk. If your vagina likes to have sex with penises, put condoms on those penises! Also, do not douche or wash your vulva/vagina with anything more than warm water; you’ll be washing away all of those good bacteria that protect you from BV. The CDC would want me to tell you to also limit the number of new sex partners you have, but really, you do you on that front. Have fun!
