Women with BV may have an abnormal vaginal discharge with an unpleasant odor. Some women report a strong fish-like odor, especially after intercourse. Discharge, if present, is usually white or gray; it can be thin. Women with BV may also have burning during urination or itching around the outside of the vagina, or both. Some women with BV report no signs or symptoms at all.
Symtoms of bacterial vaginosis
In most cases, BV causes no complications. But there are some serious risks from BV including:
Having BV can increase a woman's susceptibility to HIV infection if she is exposed to the HIV virus.
Having BV increases the chances that an HIV-infected woman can pass HIV to her sex partner.
Having BV has been associated with an increase in the development of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) following surgical procedures such as a hysterectomy or an abortion.
Having BV while pregnant may put a woman at increased risk for some complications of pregnancy.
BV can increase a woman's susceptibility to other STDs, such as chlamydia and gonorrhea.
Pregnant women with BV more often have babies who are born premature or with low birth weight (less than 5 pounds).
The bacteria that cause BV can sometimes infect the uterus (womb) and fallopian tubes (tubes that carry eggs from the ovaries to the uterus). This type of infection is called pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID can cause infertility or damage the fallopian tubes enough to increase the future risk of ectopic pregnancy and infertility. Ectopic pregnancy is a life-threatening condition in which a fertilized egg grows outside the uterus, usually in a fallopian tube which can rupture.
