Healthcare. Bacterial Vaginosis. Medicine, Nursing Term Paper

Healthcare
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Healthcare
Bacterial Vaginosis
Bacterial Vaginosis is a disease that affects the vagina and is caused by imbalanced growth of bacteria. Some of the most common symptoms include vaginal discharge that is usually grey or white in colour that smells like fish. In some cases, there may be itching during urination. Getting infected with BV increases the risk of contracting other infections like HIVAIDS. In pregnant women, there is a higher risk of early delivery. In the United States, the prevalence of the disease is more than 20 million cases among women aged between 14-49 years (Koumans et al., 2007). The above findings were based on a study carried out by NHANES from 2001-2004.
The findings from the study reported that more than 80% of the women who were diagnosed with BV showed no symptoms at all. Women who are not involved in any sexual relations are also at risk of contracting BV. On the other hand, pregnant women and those who have been pregnant before can also be affected. African American women and Mexicans are more at risk of contracting BV compared to the white women. It is important to note that the prevalence of BV is directly proportional to the number of sexual partners one has in a lifetime. The more sexual partners a woman has, the more at risk she is at getting BV and vice versa.
The diagnosis process involves examination of the vaginal secretions through a microscope. The medical provider also checks the pH. After diagnosis, one can be prescribed with medicine to use in the vagina. There are also oral medications that treat the above illness. When taking the medicine, it is essential for a person to abstain from sexual intercourse until the medication is complete. Screening for Bacterial Vaginosis in pregnant women can help prevent multiple pregnancy complications. Some of the screening tests involve Gram stain and the Amsel clinical criteria.
There are numerous treatment options for Bacterial Vaginosis. Some of the medications used include metronidazole vagina gel, oral metronidazole, and clindamycin vaginal cream. The results are all the same when either method is used. Whenever a patient is diagnosed with BV, it is essential for the doctors to keep tab of the patient’s progress (Eschenbach et al., 2017). The patients, on the other hand, are supposed to make sure they take all the required medication. This is because the patient can develop complications if the condition is not cured. For example, one can develop ectopic pregnancy, which is quite risky in such cases.
The cause of BV is not technically known. However, women are educated on ways they can avoid contracting BV. For example, sexual intercourse increases the chance of getting the infection. This, however, does not mean that those who abstain from sexual intercourse are not at risk of getting Bacterial Vaginosis. Vaginal hygiene will reduce the risk factors. Collaboration with the health care team will play a huge role in prevention of the illness. Women who are in the productive age are at risk of getting BV compared to the other ages. Bacterial Vaginosis is common in the African con...