Latest news with #CatrionaBradshaw
Refinery29
07-08-2025
- Health
- Refinery29
If You're Itchy & Uncomfortable It Might Be Bacterial Vaginosis
If you've ever experienced bacterial vaginosis, otherwise referred to as BV, you'll know how uncomfortable it is. But you'll also know, it's very common and can be easily treated with an antibiotic. Our collective understanding of BV isn't so clear though. While currently it's not classed as a STI by official health bodies, it is linked to sex and research from March this year argues that it fits the definition of being a STI. So in the months or years to come, we might see how we categorise BV change. Prof Catriona Bradshaw, who led on this groundbreaking trial, said: "Our trial has shown that reinfection from partners is causing a lot of the BV recurrence women experience, and provides evidence that BV is in fact an STI. Part of the difficulty in establishing whether BV is sexually transmitted has been that we still don't know precisely which bacteria are the cause, but advances in genomic sequencing are helping us close in on that mystery." For now, the best thing to do is understand how BV presents in the body, and what you can do about it. What is bacterial vaginosis? BV is the most common vaginal infection among women and people with vaginas, according to Dr. Kate McLean, chief medical officer at Evvy. "It's not caused by a single 'bad' bacteria, but rather by a disruption in the vaginal microbiome. This imbalance can lead to a variety of symptoms, but sometimes BV presents without any noticeable signs." McLean says that although BV is often treated like a "single diagnosis", it actually is a broad umbrella term covering a range of issues, which is why BV looks different person to person. Common symptoms include a thin, greyish-white vaginal discharge, a strong "fishy" odor, vaginal itching or irritation, and a burning sensation in the vagina or sometimes during urination. However, up to 84% of people with BV may experience no symptoms at all, McLean adds. BV can have broader health risks for women, including infertility, IVF failure, premature birth (if pregnant), and STI contraction. So if you think you have signs of it, or something just doesn't feel right down there, it's important to go to a doctor. How to treat bacterial vaginosis BV is usually treated with antibiotics. However, recurrence can be common. More than 50% of patients experience BV again within six months, McLean adds. This is why it's important to see your GP. Sometimes, especially in those who are asymptomatic, it can go away on its own. Dr. Christine Curry, Clinical Director for Women's Health at ŌURA, says how long this will take a "quite individualised". She says it's worth considering if it's even wise to wait it out if you are experiencing symptoms. "If the discharge, pain, itching or odor are making it hard to work, exercise or have sex, it may be worth talking to your doctor about a course of antibiotics. A lot of people don't realise that having BV means that the vagina is overall pretty inflamed. All of that inflammation makes getting or giving sexually transmitted infections (STI) more likely." There is a higher chance of getting an infection with chlamydia or gonorrhoea. How to prevent bacterial vaginosis Sexual activity is a huge trigger for BV, including unprotected sex, sex with a new partner, or sex with multiple partners. "This is due to the bacteria in semen (and its higher pH) as well as the bacteria in/on the penis, vagina, or mouth of your partner," McLean says. But it isn't just sex. Smoking, douching, and hormonal changes also play a role in a person's susceptibility of getting it. McLean says to avoid using scented products down there, avoid using period products for longer than advised, to wash sex toys and cover them with a condom during partnered sex, and use condoms and dental dams during sex. What's the difference between BV and a yeast infection? "While both can cause discomfort, BV and yeast infections have different causes and require different treatments," McLean says. "BV is an overgrowth of bacteria and often causes a fishy-smelling discharge. Yeast infections are caused by an overgrowth of Candida fungi and typically result in thick, white discharge itching and irritation." Confusing the two is common, but treating one as the other can worsen symptoms. Will BV one day be classed as a STI? That remains to be seen. One thing preventing this, according to Curry, is that people who aren't sexually active can still get BV. Although, sexual contact is highly linked with BV.
Time Magazine
08-05-2025
- Health
- Time Magazine
Catriona Bradshaw
Most women have experienced, or at least heard of, bacterial vaginosis (BV). One in three women of reproductive age is affected by the condition, which was previously viewed as an imbalance in the vaginal microbiome. BV—which can increase a woman's risk of miscarriage in all trimesters of pregnancy, of preterm birth, and of acquiring and transmitting other STIs—is typically treated with antibiotics like metronidazole or clindamycin for affected female patients, and is notorious for having a high recurrence rate of 60% to 80%. Most men, though, are not familiar with the condition. Catriona Bradshaw, a clinician and Head of the Genital Microbiota & Mycoplasma Group at Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, has studied BV over two decades to find more effective ways to treat it. She led a ground-breaking study published March 2025 in the New England Journal of Medicine which found that BV actually fits the profile of a sexually transmitted infection (STI), and that treating the male partner as well is key to preventing recurrence. Bradshaw's experience volunteering at an STI clinic in Malawi in 1998 vaulted her into a PhD in Sexual Health Medicine at the University of Melbourne and a career studying two particularly challenging STIs: mycoplasma genitalium and bacterial vaginosis. She pioneered a new strategy called resistance-guided therapy that raised the cure rate for mycoplasma genitalium, an emerging drug-resistant superbug. Her research has informed international diagnosis and therapy guidelines for the World Health Organization, the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, the Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine, the CDC, and more. Her team wants to work with the manufacturer of the clindamycin cream used in their BV study to make the treatment more widely available to men. Research into issues like BV, which fall under the umbrella category of women's health, is 'still considered low priority in terms of all the other competing interests,' Bradshaw says. 'There's a lot more work to be done but it's wonderful to have made a fairly significant inroad to help us disentangle what's going on more.'
Irish Examiner
02-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Bacterial vaginosis — the causes, the symptoms, and the treatments
TikTok's recent 'kitty drinks' trend — which suggested the consumption of various fruit juice combos would make your vagina 'sweeter' and 'clear all fishy smells' — not only highlighted the prevalence of pseudoscience on the social media platform, it promoted the myth that vaginas need cleaning — they don't. A fishy-smelling vagina is actually a classic symptom of bacterial vaginosis, a common condition which new research suggests is a sexually transmitted infection (STI). Mary-Kate* (42) first experienced bacterial vaginosis (BV) three years ago, when she had symptoms of 'a burning sensation, itching and an unpleasant, smelly discharge'. Having visited her GP, who tested for BV and for STIs — 'which was really embarrassing, but she said it was just to rule things out' — Mary-Kate was diagnosed with BV and prescribed antibiotics, which cleared up the infection. Three months later, however, the BV 'came back and continues to recur every few months. I'm at my wits' end and don't feel the antibiotics are really helping'. Mary-Kate's experience of recurrent bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a common one. For more than 50% of women, BV — which is caused by an imbalance in the vaginal flora — recurs within three to six months of antibiotic treatment. A new Australian study recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that simultaneously treating the male partner of a BV sufferer (with a combination of oral and topical antibiotics) drastically reduced the infection's recurrence rate in the female partner. The trial involved 164 heterosexual couples in monogamous relationships, of which 81 were in the partner-treatment group. Commenting on the findings, professor Catriona Bradshaw, a co-author of the study, said: 'Our trial has shown that reinfection from partners is causing a lot of the BV recurrence women experience, and provides evidence that BV is in fact an STI.' Previous studies had discounted this possibility, but 'these studies had design limitations, and none used a combination of oral and topical antibiotics to adequately clear BV bacteria in men, especially from the penile-skin site,' Bradshaw said. According to the HSE, around one in 10 women will get BV during their lifetime, while a recent review by the WHO found that, globally, the prevalence of the condition among women of reproductive age was between 23 to 29%. Some women experience no symptoms, but the most common one is a 'discharge' which has 'a fishy smell', says Dr Breffini Anglim O'Regan, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at the Coombe hospital. BV 'doesn't cause harm except if you're pregnant,' she says. 'It could potentially cause a small baby, so growth restriction, or result in a preterm birth.' Additionally, if untreated, BV can cause an infection of the lining of the womb post-birth, she says. 'Good' and 'bad' bacteria In the main, BV affects sexually active women of childbearing age, but it can affect women who are not engaging in sexual activity, or occur post menopause. 'Basically, your vagina is made up of 'good' and 'bad' bacteria,' says Catriona Keye, an advanced nurse practitioner at Scholarstown Family Practice in Dublin. Lactic-acid-producing lactobacilli are the 'good' bacteria of the vaginal microbiome, she explains, and in a healthy vaginal ecosystem, keep the 'bad' bacteria, of which there are several strains, in check. BV occurs when an increase in the 'bad' Gardnerella strain disrupts the delicate balance of the vaginal flora, which, in turn, affects the pH level of the vagina (normally slightly acidic). Studies have shown that vaginal microbiomes can vary significantly among different racial groups. Black and Hispanic women have a higher prevalence of BV. This may be because of lower levels of lactobacilli in their vaginal flora but studies are as yet unconclusive. Sex has long been known to trigger a recurrence of BV, other factors can also be responsible. Synthetic leggings, combined with a sweaty exercise session, create an ideal environment for Gardnerella to flourish. In recent years, Keye has noticed an uptick in BV in the cohort of women habitually wearing such gear. Her advice is to 'Make sure you change out of your underwear and your yoga gear as soon as you finish your exercise.' Douching — flushing, squirting, or spraying water or other cleaning products into the vagina — can also disrupt the vaginal flora, leading to BV. 'You shouldn't be using any body washes around your vulva and vaginal area,' says Dr Anglim O'Regan. 'If you [do] it's going to affect the bacterial make up of your vagina.' The characteristic fishy odour of BV can prompt some women to douche or use scented body washes in an attempt to banish the smell but doing so will only make the problem worse, she says. She advises wearing 'no underwear to bed or loose cotton underwear,' and laundering with non-bio detergent. BV is uncommon in post-menopausal women, but for those who do develop it, vaginal oestrogen may be a helpful adjunct to treatment as it increases the amount of lactobacilli in the microbiome, she says, while for someone with recurrent BV in the more commonly affected age groupings 'a probiotic is definitely not a bad idea'. Relationship impact Women who experience recurrent BV often find their relationships are negatively affected. Julie* (36) has had BV on and off for two years and says it has taken a huge toll on her mental health and on her sexual relationship with her current partner. 'Sex was a huge part of our relationship,' she says, but she now 'avoids sex' as the BV makes her feel self-conscious. 'I miss being able to have sex without thinking about how I smell.' While she has been treated with antibiotics multiple times, her partner has not, so the findings of the Australian study may provide a pathway to resolving her BV. The study focused on heterosexual couples in a long-term relationship, but for a woman with multiple partners, the solution may not be as clear-cut. 'A lot of my young patients, students, would have multiple partners. They aren't in a relationship, and would be with different boys at the weekends,' Keye says, pointing out the unlikelihood of casual partners adhering to a course of antibiotics. 'Why would they want to take them? Because it doesn't affect them, in the sense that they have no symptoms.' Like the vagina, the penis also has a microbiome made up of 'good' and 'bad' flora, Keye explains. 'A few years ago, studies came out to show that the men were carrying a bacteria that can trigger bacterial vaginosis. "They don't have bacterial vaginosis, but they have bacteria on or under the foreskin, or around the penis, or inside the urethra. Then when they have sex, they can transfer that bacteria and that bacteria can trigger the Gardnerella overgrowth in a woman.' She adds that semen can also alter the vaginal flora, leading to BV. BV can also increase the risk of contracting other STIs, she says, as the altered flora and more alkaline environment it creates in the vagina creates a favourable environment for other infections — including HIV — to take hold. 'The take-home message is really exciting,' Keye says of the Australian study findings, but she has some caveats: 'It needs to be done on a larger scale, and with a more diverse population.' She's also concerned of the possible stigma that could result from BV being reclassified as an STI. 'At the moment, like there is no stigma attached to having BV,' she says, noting that STIs still retain an element of stigma, particularly among older women. She emphasises that being diagnosed with an STI is not an indication that a partner has been unfaithful. 'You can have an STI from donkey's years ago and be asymptomatic and you'd never know it unless you were screened.' *Names changed by request Read More Low iron in pregnancy linked to newborn heart disease in 'gamechanger' discovery
National Geographic
12-03-2025
- Health
- National Geographic
Researchers find that bacterial vaginosis is really an STI
For decades, bacterial vaginosis (BV) has been treated as a frustrating but routine infection—one that afflicts nearly a third of women in the U.S. and often comes back again and again for more than half of patients. But what if the reason for these relentless recurrences isn't just a quirk of the vaginal microbiome? A groundbreaking new study suggests BV isn't just an imbalance—it's sexually transmitted. And the key to stopping it may not lie in treating women alone but in treating their male partners as well. 'One dominant risk factor… in our clinical studies was a regular partner,' says Catriona Bradshaw, an author of the study and a clinician at Melbourne Sexual Health Centre at Monash University. '[It] kept popping out and just smacking us between the eyes, and we got to a point where we thought 'we just have to do a partner treatment trial.'' Is bacterial vaginosis sexually transmitted? BV occurs when the perfect storm of bacteria combines in the vagina. Unlike typical sexually transmitted infections (STIs), no single pathogen is responsible. But, it has long been suspected that these bacteria can be sexually transmitted. 'We've had evidence for many years that bacterial vaginosis might be a sexually transmitted infection, based on data that includes increased risk of bacterial vaginosis with increasing number of sexual partners, increased risk with sex without a condom, and other evidence,' says David Fredricks, a clinician and microbiologist at the University of Washington. 'Although this hypothesis has been out there for many decades, some limited studies of male partner treatment to eradicate BV associated bacteria have not met with success.'
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Bacterial infection common in women may actually be an STI: Study
(NewsNation) — A third of women experience a common bacterial infection that previously was not considered to be sexually transmitted. Now, researchers believe it may be. In a new study published Wednesday, researchers found that treating male partners may prevent the recurrence of bacterial vaginosis. Bacterial vaginosis results from an imbalance in the vagina's bacteria, causing symptoms of discolored discharge, a 'fishy' odor, vaginal itching and a burning feeling when peeing, though not all women who have BV will show symptoms. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the infection is the most common vaginal problem for women ages 15 to 44. Researchers sniff out obesity link between labradors, humans In the study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, researchers in Australia observed 164 monogamous heterosexual couples to study whether treating male partners would reduce the recurrence of BV in the female partner. In the control group, the women who had bacterial vaginosis received antibiotics, while the men did not receive any treatment. In a second study group, both partners received treatment. In the control group in which men did not take antibiotics, 63% of women redeveloped bacterial vaginosis within 12 weeks after taking oral medication. In comparison, just 35% of women whose partners also received treatment experienced reoccurrence. Menopausal hormone therapy linked to Alzheimer's: Study 'Our trial has shown that reinfection from partners is causing a lot of the BV recurrence women experience, and provides evidence that BV is in fact an STI,' said Professor Catriona Bradshaw at Monash University. The study calls for a new approach to the way the infection is classified and treated, finding that male-partner treatment may prevent the recurrence of bacterial vaginosis. 'We've suspected for a long time that it's a sexually transmitted infection (STI), because it has a similar incubation period (after sex) to most STIs and is associated with the same risk factors as STIs like chlamydia, such as change in sexual partner and not using condoms,' said Dr. Lenka Vodstrcil, one of the study's authors. Practitioners still do not treat BV as an STI, but if it were to officially be classified as one, it would surpass chlamydia as the most common. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
