Bacterial Vaginosis Wtf

[funn]

OK, My wife has been trying to get rid of this annoying bacteria for about 2 years now. She has been on antibiotics so many times but it just seems to come back a week or two later. We have been together for about 20 years and we have never had intercourse with anyone else. We only soft swap but when we play she is open to just about anything and have tried alot. Just not full swap. We have been swinging for about 4 years now and the BV started out of the blue. We never play when she has it and if she has it and a bit of action starts she just keeps her pants on and tells everyone she is on her period. She has perfected her oral skills in the last couple of years, lol. The last time she took anti biotics it went away for a couple of months but the first time we went out to play, it came back. She is so bummed about it that she is starting to lose her sex drive. She feels dirty. We have tried so many things from anti biotics to natural remedies. We just can't seem to get rid of it. We noticed a similar odour on one of the girls we play with. Is it possible that they are playing ping pong with it. It seems to come back after we play with this couple. Although the last time we played with them the other girl did not have the odour and my wife got back the BV a few days after the playdate.

We would really appreciate any input on this as it is really starting to affect my wife and her sex drive.

[two4youinswva]

I am NOT a doctor, or in any way associated with the medical arts, so this may or may not apply, and could possibly be a very dumb question: Is it possible she is contracting it from you?

Please understand, I'm not suggesting you're screwing around behind her back. Just wondering if this is the type of infection a man can pick up and pass to her.


Mr two4you
- Likes to play doctor

[screaminggood]

I agree with the previous poster....you could have a nasty little bacteria hiding somewhere on you and be reinfecting her. Another thought: your hands or her hands? Bacteria under the nails and such. Do y'all wash your hands before and after being in someone else?

And yes, she could be getting reinfected from the same girl....OR the SAME PLACE! Are the sheets changed, etc?

[JustAskJulie]

BV is no fun at all. I've had a few times but luckily a good dose of Antibiotics (the oral kind) gets rid of it for me. When I called the ob/gyn last time I had it the nurse told me that a lot of women get it regularly after their period (like every month). ICK!

It can be transferred to you and back and forth (just as a yeast infection can)... it could also be that she's giving it back and forth to this other girl if she has it. I would definately suggest that you get checked and I would probably also mention it to this playmate and suggest that all of you get treated simultaniously (including her partner) just to be safe. I'm no DR, nor do I play one tv... but I've had this little bug a few times.

Also, BV (just like a yeast infection) is caused by an imbalance of the PH in her system. There is a product that my gyno reccomended to me that I now use at least once a month called RePHresh that helps keep your PH balance intact. It might not be a bad thing if she used it regularly after playing, if that seems to lead to an infection.

Another thing to look at would be her toys. Some types of toys hold bacteria, personally I can't use any of the gel toys for that very reason and tend to stick to hard plastic or the standard rubber toys (nothing porous). So you might want to look at that as well.

[LikeMinds321]

Does your wife douche on a regular basis?

If so, this could also be contributing to the problem.

I read many years ago that women should not douche because of all the problems it can cause with infections.

LM

[Ellyanne77]

First thought. Eat more yogurt.
2nd thought. Change doctors and get a second opionion.

[des1re06]

After reading this article (all of it), it appears to be a very common infection. http://womenshealth.gov/faq/stdbv.htm#8

It seems to me that even if you use protection (condoms), you increase your chances tenfold from douching.

I stopped douching years ago, and didn't even get one yeast infection for 10 years. Once we started swinging, I felt like I needed to (I don't know why, as I didn't have an odor), and the yeast infections started.

In conclusion, I think women hurt themselves more by douching than anything else.

Mrs. D

[Pepper & Drew]

I'm not a doctor either, but I've had reoccurent yeast infections. My doctor put me on a series, where each week I do a maintainance dose of either yeast infection treatment medication or Relagard, which keeps my pH in balance.

If I had to take a guess, she's probably got 2 problems. In taking the antibiotics so often, the bacteria is resistant, so if you don't kill it all, it's stronger. Problem #2 is that she probably is reinfecting herself. Her underwear, her toys, maybe you, etc. are introducing enough of the bacteria to get it going again.

I'd switch gynocologists, and find one that understands that you're coming to them for a solution to this problem, not for some half-assed cure.

Pepper

[funn]

Wow, I forgot all about this thread. about a year ago my wife treated the BV. We decided to stay away from the couple we suspected was giving it to my wife and the BV never returned. We waited a few months and met another couple. We wanted to see if it was the other girl we suspected or if it was my wife who was just sensitive to other women. We played with the new couple and the BV never returned. Since then, we have had a couple of other play friends and again, nothing. Needless to say, we never played with the other couple again and my wife is happy and back to herself again.

[MsGoneWild]

BV can also be caused by some birth control pills. Sometimes you just get extra junk hanging around there. I had it once and was told it was most likely caused by this. I took some antibiotics (full course for 2 weeks for something else unrelated to this) and it cleared up and hasn't come back since. (this was over 3 years ago).

If she is repeatedly getting exposed and infected, you may want to get yourself checked out only because like a yeast infection is can be transferred back and forth.

[PiaB]

Researchers have had difficulty determining exactly what causes bacterial vaginosis. At present, it seems to be that a combination of multiple bacteria must be present together for the problem to develop. Bacterial vaginosis typically features a reduction in the number of the normal hydrogen peroxide-producing lactobacilli in the vagina. Simultaneously, there is an increase in concentration of other types of bacteria, especially anaerobic bacteria (bacteria that grow in the absence of oxygen). As a result, the diagnosis and treatment are not as simple as identifying and eradicating a single type of bacteria. Why the bacteria combine to cause the infection is unknown.

Certain factors have been identified that increase the chances of developing bacterial vaginosis. These include multiple or new sexual partners, vaginal douching, and cigarette smoking. However, the role of sexual activity in the development of the condition is not fully understood, and bacterial vaginosis can still develop in women who have not had sexual intercourse.