Recurrent bacterial vaginosis: the use of maintenance acidic vaginal gel following treatment

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) frequently recurs after treatment. One option in the management of recurrences is to keep the vaginal pH at 4.5 or less, in order to prevent overgrowth of bacteria, until the normal lactobacilli are re-established. We report the outcome of using maintenance acetic acid vagin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of STD & AIDS 2005-11, Vol.16 (11), p.736-738
Main Authors: WILSON, J. D, SHANN, S. M, BRADY, S. K, MAMMEN-TOBIN, A. G, EVANS, A. L, LEE, R. A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
AIDS/HIV
Bacteria
Bacterial diseases
Bacterial diseases of the genital system
Biological and medical sciences
Epidemiology. Vaccinations
Female
General aspects
Human bacterial diseases
Humans
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
Infectious diseases
Lactobacillus
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Recurrence
Treatment Outcome
Vagina - chemistry
Vaginal Creams, Foams, and Jellies - therapeutic use
Vaginosis, Bacterial - drug therapy
Vaginosis, Bacterial - prevention & control
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Summary:Bacterial vaginosis (BV) frequently recurs after treatment. One option in the management of recurrences is to keep the vaginal pH at 4.5 or less, in order to prevent overgrowth of bacteria, until the normal lactobacilli are re-established. We report the outcome of using maintenance acetic acid vaginal gel, after treatment of BV, in a sample of 49 women with frequent recurrences. Half of the women had no further recurrences, and in those who did there was a significant increase in time to first recurrence (4.8 months) after commencing the gel compared with the previous recurrence (2.1 months). Prior to using acidic gel, the mean recurrence rate in 49 women was 4.4 per woman/year, and this was reduced to 0.6 recurrences per woman/year. As there are few effective therapies for women with recurrent BV, we feel this offers an option that can currently be used in clinical practice.
ISSN:0956-4624
1758-1052
DOI:10.1258/095646205774763081