bacterial vaginosis

noun

: vaginitis that is marked by a grayish vaginal discharge usually of foul odor and that is associated with the presence of excessive amounts of some bacteria (especially Gardnerella vaginalis)

called also nonspecific vaginitis

Examples of bacterial vaginosis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web While Carrying Ceramics: 'There Were Casualties' According to the Cleveland Clinic, women need to keep their vulva clean to prevent infections, including bacterial vaginosis—an infection caused by an overgrowth of bacteria—and yeast infections—an infection caused by an overgrowth of fungus. Jordan Greene, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024 For example, bacterial vaginosis and genital herpes are detected around 39% and 48% of the time with a pelvic examination.4 A self-exam is neither recommended nor effective in detecting cervical cancer or precancerous changes. Tracee Cornforth, Verywell Health, 30 Jan. 2024 That could be a sign of an STI such as trichomoniasis, chlamydia, or gonorrhea, or of the infection bacterial vaginosis (BV). Mara Santilli, SELF, 26 Jan. 2024 Are Black women more susceptible to bacterial vaginosis? Dominique Fluker, Essence, 18 Jan. 2024 Past research has identified two specific imbalances of the vaginal microbiota that commonly lead to bacterial vaginosis. Lori Youmshajekian, Scientific American, 6 Dec. 2023 An imbalance of these microbes are associated with certain infections and medical conditions, such as bacterial vaginosis (BV), a painful condition that affects about 30 percent of women between the ages of 14 and 49 in the U.S. Bacterial vaginosis is very ill-defined, Ravel says. Lori Youmshajekian, Scientific American, 6 Dec. 2023 Here’s how to prevent bacterial vaginosis: Don’t use scented products. Dominique Fluker, Essence, 6 Oct. 2023 Plenty else had been down there: fingers, tongues, a whole clove of garlic (for bacterial vaginosis), various buzzing rubber toys (for fun). Clare Sestanovich, The New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bacterial vaginosis.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1983, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bacterial vaginosis was in 1983

Dictionary Entries Near bacterial vaginosis

Cite this Entry

“Bacterial vaginosis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bacterial%20vaginosis. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

bacterial vaginosis

noun
bacterial vag·​i·​no·​sis -ˌvaj-ə-ˈnō-səs How to pronounce bacterial vaginosis (audio)
: vaginitis that is marked by a grayish vaginal discharge usually of foul odor and that is associated with the presence of a bacterium especially of the genus Gardnerella (G. vaginalis synonym Haemophilus vaginalis)
abbreviation BV

called also nonspecific vaginitis

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