Question: What is the Treatment for Bacterial Vaginosis?
Answer: The recommended treatments for bacterial vaginosis are the antibiotics metronidazole and clindamycin. When prescribed for treating bacterial vaginosis, the usual form prescribed is as a vaginal cream or gel, although both are available as oral medications. These drugs are safe when used for treatment of BV during pregnancy. The only difference between treating pregnant and non-pregnant women with bacterial vaginosis is that dosage is different for pregnant women.
Occasionally bacterial vaginosis clears up without treatment. However, it’s important that all women who have BV get treatment as soon as possible. Untreated bacterial vaginosis can lead to the development of pelvic inflammatory disease or PID. Pregnant women with bacterial vaginosis also face the prospect of premature delivery or giving birth to low birth weight babies without proper treatment.
Reference: CDC STD FAQs: Bacterial Vaginosis; http://www.cdc.gov/std/bv/STDFact-Bacterial-Vaginosis.htm; accessed: 02/13/06.
