BV can increase the risk of acquiring certain diseases and conditions, including1,2:
- Chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes, HIV/AIDS, and other sexually transmitted diseases from an infected partner
- Infections following certain types of surgery, such as hysterectomy, abortion, and caesarean delivery
- Pelvic inflammatory disease
If a woman is infected with HIV and has BV, there is an increased risk of passing HIV/AIDS to her partner and possibly to her child if she is pregnant2,3,4.
There is no indication that BV affects a woman's ability to get pregnant.
However, BV is associated with certain risks to the fetus, including delivering an infant preterm (before 37 weeks of pregnancy) and delivering an infant with a low birth weight (generally, 5.5 pounds or less).2 If you are planning a pregnancy and have recently been diagnosed with BV, you should discuss your plans with your health care provider. He or she may wish to perform a follow-up examination to ensure that you have been successfully treated before you try to get pregnant.
Pregnant women with BV are more likely to deliver a preterm infant (before 37 weeks of pregnancy) and to have a low birth weight infant (generally, 5.5 pounds or less).1,2
Scientists estimate that each year in the United States, 80,000 preterm births, 4,000 infant deaths, and 4,000 cases of damage to an infant's nervous system are related to pregnant women having BV.5
The types of bacteria that cause BV can sometimes infect other parts of the reproductive organs and cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).2 If a woman develops PID because of infection with BV, she is more likely to have an ectopic pregnancy—a pregnancy in which the fetus develops outside of the womb. Fetuses that develop ectopically (outside of the womb) usually do not survive. PID can also increase a woman's chances of becoming infertile.2
For these reasons, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that any woman who has had a premature delivery or an infant with a low birth weight be screened for BV. Other women who are planning a pregnancy should discuss screening for BV with their health care provider.6
There are several misconceptions about the ways in which a woman can develop BV, including that she can get it by2:
- Sitting on a toilet seat
- Touching and/or laying on bedding
- Swimming in a swimming pool
There is no evidence that any of these actions contributes to or causes a woman to develop BV.
Although BV is not always transmitted sexually, the only way to avoid the sexual transmission of BV is to practice abstinence. If you decide to engage in sex, steps that will minimize your risk of developing BV include2:
- Limiting the number of sexual partners that you have
- Using condoms consistently
To lower your risk of BV you should avoid douching. Douching removes some of the bacteria that are normally present in your vagina, which protect you from infection.2
You can keep your vaginal bacteria in balance by washing your external genitalia daily with mild soap and wearing cotton or cotton-lined underpants.2 Avoiding tight pants and pantyhose, especially in the summer when you are perspiring more, will also lower your risk.
BV can increase a woman's risk of getting HIV/AIDS from an infected partner1,2 Mother-to-child transmission during pregnancy or breastfeeding is the major reason children develop HIV/AIDS. Therefore, if you become HIV positive while you are pregnant and don't receive antiretroviral drugs, your fetus is at risk of also becoming HIV positive.
Preventing or curing BV will not prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS. For this reason, HIV/AIDS medications must be taken during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
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