Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) occurs when the balance of bacteria in the vagina is disrupted by internal or external stimuli. Not everyone with reduced vaginal flora or bacterial balance get Bacterial Vaginosis but having an imbalance of naturally occurring vaginal bacteria certainly makes one susceptible to Bacterial Vaginosis. Internal infections can disrupt naturally occurring vaginal bacteria as can external stimulus, such as rough or unsanitary sexual practices, multiple sex partners, or by the introduction of contaminated foreign bodies such as unclean sex toys. Douching can also disrupt the balance, actually creating a breeding ground for the very bacteria one is trying to eliminate.
What are the Symptoms?
Other symptoms of Bacterial Vaginosis include an excess malodorous discharge that can be whitish or gray in color, foamy or watery in consistency, and accompanied by external itching and a burning sensation while urinating.
What if I don’t get Treatment?
Bacterial Vaginosis is a serious condition in pregnant women leaving them in danger of experiencing premature births and/or low birth weight in their babies. If indicated before having a surgical procedure involving the fallopian tubes, ovaries or the uterus such as an abortion or hysterectomy, Bacterial Vaginosis can lead to Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID). Pelvic Inflammatory Disease is a serious condition with symptoms that include severe pelvic pain associated with vaginal bleeding, foul odor, discharge and a fever. PID can also lead to ectopic pregnancies and even infertility.
How Can I Avoid Contracting Bacterial Vaginosis?
Cleanliness is paramount to avoiding Bacterial Vaginosis. Women should wipe front to back (from the vagina to the anus) after relieving themselves. Shower or wash the genital area daily and have clean hands before you touch the genitalia. Choose your sex partners carefully and remain faithful to the one you have. Random sexual contact is not only unsafe (you do not know where they have been) but it is unfair to you physically and emotionally.
Having Safe Sex
Safe sex is sex that is safe for a woman both physically and emotionally. The thrill of a momentary sexual interlude (often instigated by alcohol and drugs) never fully satisfies the woman nor does it fill the inner need. It has been said that men give love to get sex, and that women give sex to get love. Understanding that sex is not love, but an expression of love, and that one can only express love once a relationship is forged, will keep you from making that same "mistake” over and over again.
Consequences of Better Choices
The consequence of multiple partners and a lifestyle that clearly says, “I am not valuable,” only leads to rejection and a cheapened sense of self. Evaluating choices before you make them and analyzing consequences may lead to better choices that enhance a woman’s sense of worth and the awareness of her complete significance in this life. There is a reason you were born and it was not so that someone else could abuse your body or your emotions. Learn to make well-thought-out choices that lead to good things for you and for your children. This is your life. You control it for a change.
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