Bacterial Vaginosis: Prevention
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Prevention
To help prevent bacterial vaginosis:
- Limit the number of sex partners you have. Multiple sex partners increase your risk of getting 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.8
Bacterial vaginosis is not passed between men and women and is not considered a sexually transmitted disease (STD). But if you are exposed to an STD 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 diseases, whether or not you have bacterial vaginosis. Preventing an STD is easier than treating an infection after it occurs.
| Last updated: | March 17, 2008 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS |
| Reviewed By: | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine, Jeanne Marrazzo, MD, MPH - Infectious Disease |
| Editors: | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman, MATC |
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