Wait … what? my vagina has a microbiome??
All Vaginas have a unique set of beneficial bacteria that inhabit the space.
They keep your reproductive organs healthy and protect you.
The guardians of your internal private space include a collective of a few strains of healthy bacteria in an orderly balanced population. They guard the entrance of your innermost deep chambers including the labia, vagina, cervix, uterus and reproductive organs.
Sometimes the commensal community gets disrupted resulting in Bacterial Vaginosis (BV).
What is BV (Bacterial Vaginosis)?
BV is an overgrowth of bacteria. Sometimes the balance of the commensal community can become disturbed causing some to become overgrown. This can create discomfort leading to bacterial vaginosis.
Who can get BV?
If you have a vagina and are sexually active, you may experience this condition.
Risk factors:
- don’t use condoms
- a new sex partner
- multiple sex partners
- douching
- antibiotics
- pregnancy
What are the symptoms?
- off white/gray or green vaginal discharge
- unusual odour sometimes described as ‘fishy’
- vaginal itching
- burning after you pee
Test and treat
It is important to have your regular Health checks such as Pap smears and medicals to
identify what is happening for you.
Your Naturopath can organise a self-test swab kit if you are unsure if you have BV.
This test identifies the community and rates the levels.
Treatments vary depending on your symptoms and test results.
CASE STUDY
A client had chronic issues with vaginal discharge. She was often itchy and at times experienced a discharge with an odd smell. It caused so much discomfort and embarrassment with her partner at times. This was not going away and she had tried all the creams at the chemist, and nothing seemed to help. We tested using a home swab kit. This came back positive for some bacterial growth, and her own good bacteria was almost non-existent! We prepped an herbal cream specifically for her symptoms to apply internally and a vaginal pessary to re-inoculate her good bacteria. 3 weeks later her symptoms were cleared! She was so grateful and had suffered unnecessarily for so long!
Your Naturopath can issue a VAGINAL SWAB test, prepare an herbal cream and pessary to alleviate the issue and provide relief. Duration of treatment will vary due to individual severity and symptoms. In some cases, the symptoms can be mild and in others severe.
