Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is caused by an imbalance in your vagina’s normal bacteria. It is not considered a sexually transmitted infection, although sex with a new person or increased sexual frequency can trigger it. However, it can also happen without sexual contact.
Symptoms of BV include increased whitish, yellowish, or greyish watery discharge and a strong fishy or sour smell.
Bacterial vaginosis may be related to preterm birth and low birth weight babies, so if you have symptoms it is important to get it treated.
If you have symptoms of BV, then your midwife can prescribe medication to treat this. They may want you to do a swab to confirm, but not always.
If you are treated for bacterial vaginosis, using condoms for a month after treatment may help prevent reoccurence.