Everything you need to know about vaginosis during pregnancy

Vaginosis is, in bulk, abnormal vaginal discharge, a bad odor from the vulva, pain during intercourse or even itching sensations. In short: it is an unpleasant condition that can taint your life, both personal and sexual, especially if it comes back regularly.

As an e-concept store dedicated to women's intimacy, we have researched the subject and selected references that can help you. This article brings together our results: discover the causes and treatments to finally get rid of recurring vaginosis.

Reduction in the number of lactobacilli leads to vaginosis

The microbiota of the vaginal flora is composed mainly of good bacteria (called lactobacilli and responsible in particular for regularly cleaning the vagina) and bad bacteria. It is the balance of the ratio between these bacteria that promotes the maintenance of good health of the vaginal flora.

In case of imbalance – when the number of lactobacilli drops compared to the number of bad bacteria – it is bacterial vaginosis. It can come back several times, after several treatments, we then speak of chronic vaginosis , or recurrent vaginosis.

Symptoms of recurrent vaginosis are the return of symptoms of vaginosis. This return can occur up to 6 months after treatment.

Bacterial vaginosis is not serious, but in addition to being a daily handicap, its presence can increase the risk of contracting a sexually transmitted infection as well as having complications during pregnancy. This is why it is important to treat it.

A note on other forms of vaginosis

Bacterial vaginosis is estimated to be responsible for more than two-thirds of cases of vaginosis. There are other causes of vaginosis, such as the presence of yeast (candidiasis), viruses and so on. The symptoms can be similar to those of bacterial vaginosis but the treatments to be provided are different: consulting a doctor will be essential to know, through additional tests, the cause of the vaginosis.

Why do we have repeated vaginosis? 16 reasons that cause a decrease in the number of lactobacilli

Some women are particularly susceptible to BV and experience repeated BV episodes . This often results from inadequate treatment after an initial infection, but other behaviors and medical conditions can cause repeated BV episodes.

The most frequent

1. Frequent use of antibiotics

Treating bacterial vaginosis involves killing the bad bacteria with an antibiotic before allowing the vaginal flora to rebuild around the good bacteria. However, antibiotics can tend to kill both the good and bad bacteria, which can lead to a lasting imbalance in your vaginal flora.

2. Sperm in contact with your flora

Semen has a different pH (more basic) than vaginal flora (more acidic). This acidity comes in particular from lactobacilli and limits the development of bad bacteria. When semen is in contact with your flora, it can therefore tend to make it more basic and promote the development of bad bacteria – unbalancing the vaginal flora.

3. Change of sexual partner

Changing sexual partners (or having multiple sexual partners) causes a change in the vaginal flora, particularly because it brings new bacteria, from your partner's genitals or from their previous partners. Protecting yourself with a condom limits this transfer of bacteria but does not prevent it completely.

4. Recontamination by your partner

Although bacterial vaginosis is not considered an STI, partners can still transmit it to each other and retransmit it. This is the case, for example, with Gardnerella bacterial vaginosis, which can recur several times due to this recontamination. If your partner is a carrier of the bacteria, the sex you have without a condom can contribute to repopulating your flora with these bacteria… Imposing condoms and treatment of your partner may be necessary in the event of persistent vaginosis.

5. Sexual practices

Certain sexual practices can contribute to bringing bad bacteria to the vagina in greater or lesser numbers. These include cunnilingus and anal penetration.

6. Hormonal Fluctuation

Hormonal variations can cause changes in the intimate flora, particularly because they affect vaginal discharge. Cervical mucus is thus linked to the phases of the menstrual cycle and to hormones. This is why it is common to develop vaginosis during pregnancy and menopause, when estrogen and progesterone are in decline in the body.

Less common but may have an impact

7. Practice vaginal douching

Douching is a practice that consists of cleaning the inside of your vagina with water. While you may be tempted to try this method when you have vaginosis (particularly to reduce the odors coming from the infected vagina), it is not recommended. On the one hand, the odors are not linked to a lack of hygiene but to the proliferation of bad bacteria, on the other hand, the presence of water will tend to unbalance the flora.

8. Having improper personal hygiene

While having vaginosis is not a sign of poor hygiene, poor hygiene or excessive hygiene can lead to the growth of bad bacteria and thus lead to vaginosis. Good personal hygiene involves:

• change your underwear daily;
• avoid wearing your menstrual panties and protection for more than 12 hours in a row;
• wash the vulva daily with clean water or with a suitable soap (with a pH adapted to the vaginal flora);
• do not use unsuitable soap.

✋ Your personal hygiene is good, but what about your partner's? Let's break the taboo, but it often happens that it's not your personal hygiene that's the problem, but your partner's...

9. Smoking

Smoking is recognized as a risk factor for developing vaginosis (2000 study in English 🇬🇧) – more than alcohol consumption and the use of other substances. Some speak of an 80% increase in the risk of developing vaginosis in smokers.

10. Being prone to stress and fatigue

Because stress and fatigue directly affect hormones, and because hormonal fluctuations are one of the causes of bacterial vaginosis, stress and fatigue can cause bacterial vaginosis to recur.

11. Wearing tight clothes

Wearing tight underwear and clothing made of non-noble materials (such as polyester) can restrict the flow of vaginal discharge and cause imbalances.

12. Having an unbalanced diet

An unbalanced diet—too high in refined sugars, saturated fats, and low in essential nutrients—could be causing problems with the health of your vaginal flora, promoting an imbalance in the latter and increasing the risk of infections such as bacterial vaginosis.

13. Having a weakened immune system

People with a weakened immune system have more difficulty naturally fighting against the proliferation of bad bacteria. This results in an increase in the latter, particularly in the vaginal flora, and consequently an increase in the risk of infections.

14. Have diabetes

People with diabetes whose blood sugar is not well controlled (and who therefore experience hyperglycemic attacks) are more prone to vaginosis. This is because the white blood cells do not react effectively against the bad bacteria when the blood sugar is high.

15. Have had full body hair removal

You've probably heard it before: hair has a protective role because it prevents many bacteria from accessing it. Pubic hair thus helps to close access to the vagina. This is why you may be more prone to vaginosis if you have chosen full hair removal.

Hypotheses not scientifically proven

16. Wearing an Intrauterine Device (IUD)

The link between wearing an IUD (also called a copper or hormonal coil) and vaginosis has not been formally established. It is thought that with an IUD, the increase in blood present in the vagina (due to the increase in the volume of menstruation) would make the vaginal pH more basic. However, this is not proven.

Please note, however, that you will usually be tested before an IUD is fitted to check that you do not have an infection, such as vaginosis.

How to get rid of recurring vaginosis?

If you have most certainly already consulted a doctor and treated with antibiotics to resolve your vaginosis , we can only recommend that you go back in the event of a recurrence because bad bacteria may still be present in your body. Indeed, it can be very difficult to get rid of recurrent vaginosis because the bad bacteria can adhere to the mucous membranes - making the first treatment ineffective. A more powerful treatment and therefore more violent for your vaginal flora is then necessary, requiring its reconstitution afterwards. Here are our three steps to get out of recurrent vaginosis.

1. Consult a doctor

To treat vaginosis, your general practitioner, your gynecologist or your midwife are competent health professionals. They will study your medical file, your symptoms and will suggest additional tests, if necessary, to find out the causes of your vaginosis. This last point is essential since it is what will determine which treatments will be necessary to treat your vaginosis.

2. Treat vaginosis with antibiotics

Take the antibiotics prescribed by your doctor at the dosage indicated on the prescription. If you have a relapse, your doctor may have given you a different treatment than before: some bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics and require other treatments.

✋ If you have a regular and exclusive partner, treating them with antibiotics may also be necessary if you have persistent vaginosis. Indeed, men can also be carriers of these bacteria (most of the time they are asymptomatic) and it is possible that you are stuck in a vicious circle of successive (re)contaminations.

3. Rebuild your vaginal flora

The proliferation of bad bacteria and their destruction by taking one or more antibiotics has necessarily damaged your vaginal flora. Preventing the recurrence of vaginosis involves rebuilding your vaginal flora.

For this purpose, we can only recommend the use of vaginal prebiotics and probiotics to stem repeated vaginosis. Probiotics are good bacteria (the famous lactobacilli) that will repopulate your vaginal flora, while prebiotics accelerate their development by providing them with the nutrients necessary for their multiplication. This solution also allows you to treat your vaginosis naturally .

🌈 On Gapianne, we would like to bring to your attention this product to help you rebuild your vaginal flora and fight against repeated vaginosis: the intimate soothing gel with probiotics from the Miyé brand. We like that it can be used internally to act as quickly as possible and more effectively. Composed of 99% natural ingredients, it is made in a French laboratory, with a vegan and organic composition. It contains a complex set of prebiotics and probiotics, including different strains of Lactobacillus.

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4. 7 steps to prevent the recurrence of vaginosis

Once your intimate flora has been rebuilt, it is essential to adopt daily actions aimed at protecting it as much as possible. This is what will allow you to avoid the recurrence of vaginosis, especially if you are particularly sensitive to it!

• Aim for the healthiest possible lifestyle: eat a varied diet, drink plenty of water, limit (or even stop) smoking, limit alcohol, sleep well, avoid stress... You probably know the recipe for a healthy lifestyle, but applying it on a daily basis is not always easy. If perfection will be difficult to achieve, do your best and the health of your intimate flora can only be better for it. ♥️
• Take regular courses of oral vaginal probiotics : at a rate of a minimum of three months (especially when you change sexual partners), they will maintain the good health of your vaginal flora. 🌈 At Gapianne, we have selected the course of oral probiotic supplements: vaginal and intestinal flora from the Miyé brand. The brand is French and its products are made in France in the lab and vegan. The course contains in particular the probiotics Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus Plantarum and Lactobacillus Acidophilus.

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• Adopt proper intimate hygiene : Washing your vulva daily, changing your underwear every day and not wearing your menstrual protection for more than 12 hours are important hygiene measures. You can wash yourself with clean water or with a soap with the right pH (shower gels have a pH that can unbalance your flora). 🌈 We have chosen for you the solid intimate cleansing bar from the Baûbo brand. Washing without soap, it is 100% natural and organic and has a pH adapted to the vaginal flora. As a bonus, you will love its solid format which limits the use of plastic in your routine;

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• Stop douching : excessive hygiene can be harmful, and this practice is one of them! It promotes infections and does not help your vulva smell better!
• Embracing pubic hair: What if you let your pubic hair grow back? We don't want to judge you—everyone does what they want with their body!—but it can take a toll, especially if you tend to get BV repeatedly.
• Use condoms and go to the toilet after intercourse: sperm has an alkaline pH, more basic than the vaginal microbiota, it increases the risk of developing vaginal infections. 🌈 At Gapianne, we have selected for you the latex male condoms from the My Lubie brand. Extremely thin and odorless, they have a second skin effect for guaranteed pleasure and maximum protection!

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• Adapt your sexual practices: Cunnilingus and anal intercourse are practices that are particularly likely to cause an imbalance in the vaginal flora. While there is no question of stopping these practices if you enjoy them, it will be interesting to practice them in a way that is more respectful of your vagina. For example, by switching from vaginal penetration to anal penetration rather than the other way around.

Sources

The role of lactobacilli and probiotics in maintaining vaginal health . Borges S, Silva J, Teixeira P (2014)

Is bacterial vaginosis a risk factor for prematurity? Study of a cohort of 1336 patients at the Arras hospital center . Bothuyne-Queste E, Hannebicque-Montaigne K, Canis F, et al. (2012)

An adherent Gardnerella vaginalis biofilm persists on the vaginal epithelium after standard therapy with oral metronidazole. Swidsinski A, Mendling W, Loening-Baucke V, et al. (2008)

Bacterialvaginosis in a cohort of Danish pregnant women: prevalence and relationship with preterm delivery, low birthweight and perinatal infections. Svare JA, Schmidt H, Hansen BB, Lose G (2006)

High recurrence rates of bacterial vaginosis over the course of 12 months after oral metronidazole therapy and factors associated with recurrence . Bradshaw CS, Morton AN, Hocking J, et al. (2006)