{"id":43620,"date":"2025-06-27T17:14:59","date_gmt":"2025-06-27T17:14:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/?p=43620"},"modified":"2025-06-27T20:16:05","modified_gmt":"2025-06-27T20:16:05","slug":"how-to-prevent-bacterial-vaginosis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/how-to-prevent-bacterial-vaginosis\/","title":{"rendered":"\u200bBacterial Vaginosis Has Always Been Seen as a ‘Women’s Issue.’ A New Study Shows It May Be More…"},"content":{"rendered":"

For decades, bacterial vaginosis (BV) has been classified squarely as a “women’s health issue.” Affecting nearly 30% of people with vaginas<\/a> in the United States, it’s long been understood as an imbalance in vaginal flora, marked by unpleasant discharge and odor. But a groundbreaking study<\/a> recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine challenges this framework\u2014and may forever change how we understand the vaginal condition.<\/p>\n\n\n

A Quick Refresher: What Is BV?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"how<\/figure>\n\n\n

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) occurs when there’s an imbalance in the vaginal microbiome<\/a>\u2014specifically, when healthy lactobacilli (good bacteria that help keep the vagina acidic) are reduced and replaced by an overgrowth of anaerobic bacteria, such as Gardnerella vaginalis<\/a>. This disruption leads to inflammation<\/a> and symptoms like discharge and odor, although many people don’t experience noticeable symptoms. It’s important to note that BV isn’t caused by a single bacterium or a classic infection, and it’s not considered a sexually transmitted infection (STI)\u2014Still, sexual activity<\/a> such as not using condoms and having new or multiple sex partners can often trigger or worsen the condition.<\/p>\n\n\n

BV can cause symptoms such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n