7 Tips To Prevent Bacterial Vaginosis
By Rita Kennon

The vagina normally contains a lot of "good" bacteria, called lactobacilli. This ‘good’ bacteria is what causes the vagina to maintain the proper acidic balance.

The other bacteria sometimes called the ‘bad’ bacteria, named anaerobes are not really bad unless there are excessive amounts of them.

So as you can see, it is caused by a disruption in the normal chemical balance of the vagina. The symptoms of BV is cramps, pain, itching, discharge, and odor.

The best way to make sure that you have bacterial vaginosis instead of a yeast infection or another type of infection is to check the discharge. If you have bacterial vaginosis the discharge will be thin, milky white or gray, usually with a foul or fishy smell.

While it's more common in women who are sexually active, it also occurs in women who are not sexually active. It is usually unnecessary for your sexual partner to be treated.

Vaginal odor is usually the most intense, and extremely noticable when a couple is intimate. This is probably due to the increased temperature, an alkalinity based hormonal release, and extra moisture during this time.

Immediately following sexual intercourse the fishy smell is the strongest because of the alkalinity of the seminal vesicle secretion.

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