Diagnosing Bacterial Vaginosis – Tests Used to Confirm Bacterial Vaginosis Infection

Bacterial vaginosis is a kind of vaginitis (i.e. inflammation of the vagina). Other common types of vaginitis include yeast infection, trichomoniasis and chlamydia. The characteristic bacterial vaginosis symptoms are white grayish vaginal discharge that has a fishy smell. Sometimes there are also vaginal itching and pain during urination. The vaginal discharge and odor usually get worse after a sexual intercourse or during the menses.

If your vaginal discharge pattern is abnormal or other vaginal infection symptoms are present (e.g. pain or irritation of the vagina), then it is recommended that you go for a test to find out if it is bacterial vaginosis or other types of vaginitis.

To confirm if the symptoms are a consequence of bacterial vaginosis infection, usually a series of physical examinations and laboratory tests will be performed.

Your gynecologist will first take a medical history from you by asking a routine of questions, such as if you have had experienced bacterial vaginosis symptoms before, the nature of your discharge, are there symptoms of vaginal irritation, have you recently got a new sexual partner, did you have a history of sexually transmitted infection, etc.

Next, a pelvic examination will be performed. Your gynecologist will observe the appearance of your vaginal lining and cervix and examine the uterus and ovaries. During the pelvic exam, your gynecologist may also gather tissue samples from those areas to be checked under a microscope. This step is to exclude the possibility of any sexually transmitted disease, such as gonorrhea and chlamydia.

Your vaginal discharge may also be sampled to be examined for any abnormality. The goal is to distinguish bacterial vaginosis from yeast infection (e.g. candidiasis) and an sexually transmitted disease (e.g. trichomonas). Bacterial vaginosis is present if a group of unusual cells (known as ‘clue cells’) are observed under the microscope.

If you have bacterial vaginosis, the microscopic examination of vaginal discharge will also detect a lower number of the normal ‘good’ vaginal bacteria lactobacilli. The vaginal pH will also be determined since one of the bacterial vaginosis symptoms is a vaginal pH higher than 4.5.

For vaginal malodor, a test known as ‘whiff test’ can be done. It is performed by mixing a drop of potassium hydroxide with a drop of vaginal discharge on a microscope slide. A fishy odor is produced if bacterial vaginosis is present.

Bacterial vaginosis during pregnancy puts women at a higher risk for complications such as preterm delivery, miscarriage and infection after delivery. Pregnant women who have symptoms of bacterial vaginosis should be tested for the infection so that they can be treated early.

Apart from standard antibiotic therapy and over-the-countert treatments, a large number of women also tried bacterial vaginosis natural cures to tackle their BV symptoms.