BV Infection

Have you heard other women speaking about a vaginal infection? What did they say?

Like other health issues, there's a mystique about vaginal infections. But before the big mystique is uncovered, you should know what a BV infection is.

BV infection is short for Bacterial Vaginosis Infection. It's a condition where there is a fishy odor in the vagina, a discharge, pain, itching and / or burning. It's one of those things that women may not admit they have, because of the smell and the location of the problem. Even if a woman doesn't have the fishy odor, she probably doesn't want to admit that she has a vaginal infection.

The big mystique about BV is how someone "catches" BV. Does she get it from sex? Does she give it to her friend by sharing panties? Is it caused by a parasite? If she refrains from having sexual intercourse but engages in oral sex, will she get this infection? Or can she pass this on to someone else during oral sex?

The irony of the term "BV Infection" is that it really isn't an infection; it's a condition where the vagina's natural flora is out of balance. Even a virgin can get this type of infection; it has nothing to do with sexually transmitted diseases. On the other hand, Bacterial Vaginosis infections are commonly found in women and even in pregnant women.

There is danger in having BV. When the natural flora is out of balance in the vagina, then it's easier to contract any other sexually transmitted diseases, even though BV is not an STD. Having an infection also makes a woman more susceptible to developing an infection during a hysterectomy or after an abortion. Having a BV infection makes it easier to develop pelvic inflammatory disease. And that alone can be most dangerous for women - because pelvic inflammatory disease can leave her unable to bear children for the rest of her life, and she may not even know that she has it.