Bacterial Vaginosis Transmission and Treatment

Introduction to Bacterial Vaginosis

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that bacterial vaginosis is not a classic sexually transmitted infection, and treating male partners does not prevent recurrence or alter the clinical course in women 1, 2, 3

Women who have never been sexually active are rarely affected by BV, establishing a clear link to sexual behavior 1, 2, 3
BV is associated with having multiple sex partners, though it remains unclear whether this results from acquisition of a sexually transmitted pathogen 1, 2

Treatment of male sexual partners has consistently failed to prevent BV recurrence in women, according to multiple CDC guidelines spanning decades 1, 2, 3, 4
Male partners of women with BV are not symptomatic, and treating them does not alter the clinical course of BV during treatment or reduce relapse rates 2, 3

The primary goals of BV treatment are to relieve vaginal symptoms in the affected woman and reduce risk for complications such as post-procedural infections and adverse pregnancy outcomes 1, 2
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that do not routinely treat male partners of women with BV 1, 2, 3, 4
Up to 50% of women with BV are asymptomatic 1, 4
BV has a high recurrence rate (50-80% within one year) regardless of partner treatment in most studies 4