I have tested negative for gon, chla, HIV and syph; however I have had discharge for the last few months. My gyn is treating me for BV, but it is not going away, so I am wondering if the discharge, itching and inflamation could be caused by other std's that I was not tested for such as HPV or herpes? Thanks!

Hi Scared2,

You have good questions here. I'll try to answer them one by one. BV is a vaginal infection in which the normally occurring balance of vaginal bacterial levels, are altered. Women might experience a pasty vaginal discharge that may appear white or gray with a fishy odor. Many women, however, may be asymptomatic, or have very mild symptoms that go unnoticed.

So, basically, sometimes BV is just a diagnosis for inflammation. If it's not going away with a course of antibiotics, another obvious culprit for itching and discharge is a yeast infection. Sometimes antibiotics can cause a yeast infection as antibiotics upset the balance of good and bad bacteria in the vagina.

HPV can cause itching but not discharge. Herpes can cause itching (rarely) but it goes away and comes back at a later time. So, you might want to ask your doctor about yeast.

I hope this is helpful!
Dharma

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ASHA Moderator