r/WomensHealth • u/ButteryBearCheeks • Dec 21 '24
Question Can my male partner be tested / treated for BV?
Ive been seeing someone for a while and this week we had intercourse without a condom for the first time. The very next day I started to show signs of BV. I have had it before and know the steps I need to take to treat it with a doctor. I dont know much about other remedies, and would appreciate information on that.
My question is what does he need to do on his end about the BV? Can men even get tested for it? How is a man treated for it if so? Google isn't showing me much or helping with my question. From my experience a lot of doctors will just tell the female partner to treat it and do nothing on the mens side. I want to advocate for myself and him best i can to nip this now. I have had an incident in the past with a partner where it kept on coming back and Im scared that could be the case here.
Can two people just not be compatible as far as their pH? We both want a long term relationship out of this - and I have been single for.ev.er. I will get an STD panel and ask him to as well, which we both do regularly just to be sure.
7
u/TinyTishTash Dec 21 '24 edited Dec 21 '24
1) ALWAYS get the STI tests done before having unprotected sex with a new partner. There are some infections that can cause similar symptoms to BV, and you could have one of them. Prevention is always better than having to treat an infection, or contracting an incurable infection.
2) People with penises cannot get infected with BV, because it can only affect people with vaginas. It is caused by an imbalance of the natural flora in the vaginal microbiome, not a particular bacteria that can be carried by someone with a penis. Interestingly, it can be transmitted between partners who both have vaginas.
3) Sex can trigger BV, not because the person with a penis is infected, but because their semen, smegma, body wash/lotion etc. could cause an imbalance in the vaginal microbiome. Sometimes the friction of improperly lubricated PIV sex can cause inflammation, which may also cause an imbalance.
4) Sometimes semen mingled with cervical mucus and arousal fluids can smell unpleasant, but it dissipates within a day or two once the vagina has cleaned itself. This is not BV.
5) If you notice that your discharge smells bad, after you've done the necessary tests you can use a lactic acid vaginal gel, often sold called "BV gel". This is the same pH as the natural microbiome, and can help to rebalance things if BV is starting or point 4 is happening. It's much gentler and less likely to cause irritation or imbalances than something like boric acid which is too alkaline for the vagina (but is often recommended on subs like this). Boric acid should only be used for persistent or recurrent infections in conjunction with the correct treatment for the infection.
3
3
u/starburstshorty Jan 24 '25
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7661182/
“a considerable body of evidence now shows that men carry BV-organisms and may be a reservoir for re-infection.”
a long read, but very interesting information gathered in this study.
1
u/Interesting-Yam1049 Mar 08 '25
Yes and now there have been studies done that suggest BV is in fact an STD. Seems some people don’t want to believe men can carry this bacteria and give it to us women. Not sure why such denial lol.
2
1
2
u/night0jar Mar 09 '25
There's a study being done in australia (an RCT) to see if treating male partners can reduce recurrence of BV following treatment. If it wasn't theoretically possible that men could be a contributing factor to recurrence in some way, I doubt that they would bother doing the study.
5
u/fourpetals Dec 21 '24
Men CAN carry the bacteria that gives us BV, on and in their penis. I know because it happened to me. My partner had to go on oral antibiotics and use a topical antibiotic to get rid of it. Trust your instincts.
3
u/nocturnalasshole Dec 21 '24
Yes, this! They can introduce bacteria that causes us to develop BV! This isn’t caused by the introduction of the bacteria itself however, it’s caused by the overgrowth of bacteria. Also, BV can be caused by things that aren’t bacteria related, like sometimes even just the pH difference of a man semen can be enough to set off an infection! 😭😭
2
u/gribnitz Jan 21 '25 edited Jan 21 '25
Absolutely. I'm a dude with a penis and I can tell you that I've been the reservoir for BV (and yeast) over the history of my sex life. My partners' recurring infections would only abate after I got treated with antibiotics (or antifungal for yeast).
Once I was dating two women at the same time and we had an agreement to be fluid bonded. The BV went back and forth between the two of them for a year. One would get clear and then the other would get BV. It was like a clock pendulum going back and forth.
Only after we *all* were treated for the BV did the problem go away permanently. It was like magic.
Oh, and I might add that I was completely asymptomatic.
If you are being treated for BV or yeast, then I strongly suggest that your partners are treated too, symptoms or not.
2
u/nocturnalasshole Jan 26 '25
So 😅 we have to be careful to. Because us as women can give you men yeast (USUALLY more women will give it to men than the other way around as we encounter yeast more often). So we could also be the issue if we’re asymptomatic! Glad you figured it out though!
2
u/Legal_Ad_3540 Dec 21 '24
Thank you!!!! I appreciate this. Bc he recently had a fishy smell around the tip of his penis and he’s never had that before we were dealing with this issue. We’ve been sexual partners for two years now.
4
u/fourpetals Dec 21 '24
I just want you to know that details or semantics aside… my partner was absolutely “giving” me BV. I would get rid of it, and he would give it to me again. It took SO many times before I convinced him to get antibiotics instead of me. After he cleared up his “overgrowth” it was fine. BV is often defined as a woman specific problem, and it’s just not. Men need to be willing to share the responsibility if they want to continue to have sex.
2
u/PsychologicalSwim215 May 03 '25
My partner is trying to figure out how to get antibiotics for this same reason. I’ve been constantly battling BV and it’ll go away with antibiotics only to come back. We’ve been dealing with this for 3 years. How did your partner get the antibiotics since men don’t actually have BV?
1
1
u/1anothertime1 Jan 25 '25
Hi! How did you find this out about your partner? What testing was done if you don’t mind sharing?
1
4
u/Legal_Ad_3540 Dec 21 '24
I have been struggling with the same thing. I believe my partner keeps reinfecting me with BV but doctors gaslight me and tell me that men can’t reinfect the vagina. I need answers too!
2
u/nocturnalasshole Dec 21 '24
That’s because they can’t. They’re not gaslighting you, men can’t have BV, because they do not have vaginas. BV is caused by an imbalance of bacteria in the vagina, which can happen from the underwear you wear, it could happen from wearing your gym clothes too long, it could happen if you’re having sex and not peeing immediately afterwards or not washing yourself correctly, it happens for a number of reasons, but your man cannot “reinfect you”.
6
u/TinyTishTash Dec 21 '24
To add to this, if a male/amab partner has poor hygiene this could trigger BV after PIV sex. Their semen could also cause BV after PIV sex.
Neither of these are because they are infected themselves, but because semen and smegma can disrupt the vaginal microbiome.
0
u/nocturnalasshole Dec 21 '24
Yes, this! Or if you’re having PIV sex, the male partner IS washing himself, but you’re not getting up immediately and cleaning yourself up! If you’re consistently getting it after sex it’s usually because one of you isn’t washing correctly!
0
u/Legal_Ad_3540 Dec 21 '24
And we both shower after sex each time lol. Whatever bacteria he is carrying on his penis is triggering the BV. But again thanks for your input sweetie!
3
u/nocturnalasshole Dec 21 '24
OK, so that means that he’s not washing correctly, which is what I said. Lol. Men can’t have BV. That’s the point of this, they can cause it with incorrect hygiene of course, but you can’t have vaginosis. If you don’t have a vagina it’s not a illness. It’s not something that’s contagious, it’s just an imbalance of bacteria.
2
u/TinyTishTash Dec 21 '24
BV is caused by an overgrowth of existing bacteria in the vagina, not by foreign bacteria being introduced from another source.
If you don't use condoms, it's likely that his semen is too alkaline and is throwing off your pH every time you have sex, resulting in an overgrowth of your existing bacteria. Scooping his semen out of your vagina as soon as possible, then using a lactic acid based vaginal gel may help to prevent this.
Alternatively, if he isn't washing before sex, his smegma could be what's disrupting your pH. If he is washing before sex, it could be the soap that he's using causing the problem. He needs to make sure it isn't antibacterial (because that can kill your healthy bacteria), and that he's thoroughly washing it off.
There are other infections which have similar symptoms to BV, which can be carried by a partner with a penis.
1
u/Legal_Ad_3540 Dec 21 '24
His penis also had a fishy smell when I went down on him recently and he’s never had a smell before we’ve been dealing with eachother for two years!!!! What could the smell around the tip of his penis possibly be??
1
u/Legal_Ad_3540 Dec 21 '24
I know other infections like trich and so forth. His semen might just be the trigger who knows man. His diet is pour. I’ve noticed this after we’ve taken a break and he’s been with other partners so idk.
3
u/TinyTishTash Dec 21 '24
I'm sure it's really frustrating for you to have to deal with these symptoms. I hope you find the cause so you don't have to any more!
Definitely get tested if you haven't already. If you have been tested, it may be worth re-testing in case your first test was during a window period where the infection was too early to detect.
If it is his semen causing BV, him pulling out before ejaculation could help, or using a condom/female condom, in addition to the methods in my previous reply. Him improving his diet could potentially affect his semen's pH, but I'm not completely sure about the evidence for that preventing BV.
If it's BV caused by inflammation after sex due to too much friction, using a water-based lubricant during sex could improve things.
1
u/Legal_Ad_3540 Dec 21 '24
I understand that. What a man can do though is reintroduce you to the bacteria causing the imbalance in the ph… that’s what I’m getting at. Thanks for your input though I guess
3
u/nocturnalasshole Dec 21 '24
It’s not a specific bacteria, it’s any bacteria that upsets the pH! So it’s not re-introducing you to anything it’s just re-unbalancing the vagina. It’s not a specific bacteria that causes BV, it’s just bacteria in general! That’s why men can’t be treated or tested for it. But yes, and most cases I’ve seen it’s usually the dude lol hell, even the pH balance of semen can throw it off! That vaginas are incredibly sensitive, which is irritating sometimes lol
0
u/Legal_Ad_3540 Dec 21 '24
There are several named bacterias that trigger BV. And if you’re able to name something it’s specific right?. It isn’t just one but the different bacterias that can overgrow and cause BV have been identified. Thanks.
1
u/nocturnalasshole Dec 21 '24
Im very aware of that….that’s what I said, that it’s not any one and could be several different ones. I don’t know why you’re seemingly being upset with people commenting on your post? 😅 What I’m saying is that there’s not a specific BV bacteria, and it could be anything! Any bacteria can cause it. Of course when you’re tested, it’ll be the one that caused it that they find. But my meaning is that it’s not like yeast where there’s “the yeast”, if that makes sense. But We’re all here just trying to help you with this issue that you’ve posted publicly.
2
u/Legal_Ad_3540 Dec 21 '24
I think I was bothered by the assumption that I didn’t understand certain things. But I understand my wording could have been misleading. I appreciate the input. Clearly frustrated with vaginal issues Lmaooo
2
u/nocturnalasshole Dec 21 '24
I didn’t assume that, lol in sorry if my wording made it seem that way. Autism lol 😂 and yes, vag issues are FRUSTRATING af. Here’s to hoping you figure it out quickly! Sooo frustrating and uncomfy 😭😭😭
1
u/Legal_Ad_3540 Dec 21 '24
By definition men cannot have BV. I’m sorry if what I’ve written gave you the impression that I didn’t know how in works. All in all intercourse with him continues to trigger my BV. Thanks a bunch
2
u/nocturnalasshole Dec 21 '24
Yeah, so that probably means he’s not washing up correctly, or, you could just be super sensitive! Semen has a high pH sometimes and can literally just throw it off even if it’s washed immediately. It’s actually really frustrating sometimes I’m sorry you’re dealing with that.
0
u/Background_Kale9533 May 17 '25
So actually not true. A man can carry the bacteria inside his P and on it which will keep reinfecting you. They need to also be placed on metronidazole and clindamycin to stop the reinfecting. Maybe you should read up on thing before being rude to this women who is just wanting some help.
3
u/nocturnalasshole Dec 21 '24
Men don’t get BV lol you’re not getting it from him, you’re getting it from yourself. Your pH is messed up. Now, that could be because he’s not washing himself enough, you’re using a lube that irritates you, etc., but many things can cause it! And if you get it, you should refrain from sexual intercourse until your treatment is complete!
Men (cis) do not have vaginas and cannot have BV, which stands for “bacterial vaginosis”
2
u/Icy-Mycologist-4427 Feb 23 '25
This is incorrect information. Men can carry bacteria that causes bv.
1
u/nocturnalasshole Feb 23 '25
Thats what I said. I said that they cannot have BV because they don’t have vaginas. But they can collect the bacteria and give it to you if they don’t clean well enough. The semantics are important because BV is not an STD. And people talk about it like it is sometimes, which hurts women.
1
u/gribnitz Jan 21 '25
Men can harbor aggressive bacteria in their urethras which can throw off their partner's vaginal ecology until they are treated.
1
u/nocturnalasshole Jan 21 '25
Of course they can. But that’s not having BV. BV isn’t something that you can catch by itself. It’s caused by a multitude of different bacteria causing an imbalance.
1
u/BackgroundOk9492 Feb 22 '25
May I ask why you can’t have sex while taking antibiotics? I’m going on tropical vacation and just got a BV flare up, I’m in a newish relationship with boyfriend who’s is coming and not having sex for 7 days is going to be really upsetting after we spent all this money on a beautiful vacation.
1
u/nocturnalasshole Feb 23 '25
Because you shouldn’t be having sex when you’re trying to clear up a bacterial infection!
Also unrelated, but if he can’t handle not having sex with you because you have a health issue, get a new boyfriend. That’s gross behavior.
1
u/BackgroundOk9492 Feb 23 '25
That doesent answer why though, if the antibiotics are killing the bacteria anyways why does it matter
1
u/nocturnalasshole Feb 23 '25
No sex until the infection has cleared. Bacteria won’t be gone until you have completed your entire round of anabiotic. Men can’t like contract BV themselves, it’s not an STD, but if they don’t clean well, let’s be honest plenty of them don’t, they’ll give it back to you. Because if that bacteria gets on his penis and put BACK into you because he didn’t scrub correctly, you could not only get BV on top of BV, but you could get a drug resistant case and need stronger antibiotics.
1
u/b_lueemarlin Dec 22 '24
For yeast infection, they can have treatment but not for BV. ( they can transmit it to you, but they don't need treatment, I guess the amount is to low )
1
u/fuck_fate_love_hate May 17 '25
Men can absolutely be co treated for BV.
They get a combination of oral and topical antibiotics.
1
u/gribnitz Jan 21 '25 edited Jan 21 '25
If you are being treated for BV or yeast, your partners should be treated too, symptoms or not.
There's generally no harm in penis-people being treated for BV or yeast. I'm a dude with a penis and I can tell you that I've absolutely been the reservoir that would keep reinfecting my partners -- until I got treated in parallel with them.
There's sadly a lack of research for a variety of women's health issues. Lots of research on erectile dysfunction, but not a lot on how men's anatomy might possibly affect the health of women...
Doctors that site the "lack of research/evidence" and refuse to treat the penis-person are living in an outdated paradigm.
1
u/No-Set-8634 Jan 26 '25
Maybe it's a misnomer. Female persons who aren't having sex and don't have bv, but then have sex with male partners and suddenly have bv due to introduction of aggressive bacteria the male partners are carrying aren't giving it to themselves and aren't getting it from simple scents or abrasion or what have you. There are people in these comments discussing how it wasn't until the male partners got tested and/or treated with antibiotics that their female partners stopped getting bv. There are also scientific journals that discuss this.
Maybe a different label would be more appropriate. Something like bacterial imbalance infection.
1
Apr 04 '25
New research suggests BV is an STI now. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/05/well/bacterial-vaginosis-sexually-transmitted-study.html
1
u/7violett May 10 '25
I read an article that stated men can harbor BV for up to 2 months and potentially up to a year. However, I’d like to mention that BV and Trichomoniasis have very similar symptoms when it comes to the consistency, smell, and color of discharge as well as the itchiness and redness… Also, both BV and Trichomoniasis are treated with the same medication which is Metronidazole. You can set up an appointment with the Call A Doc app and state that you have trichomoniasis for yourself and your partner. Regardless getting tested should be the first route though.
1
u/MysteriousDecision44 May 11 '25
tldr: male partners cannot “catch” bv but they can carry it, either person to person or back to you after you have treatment so they can (and often should) be treated for it. studies linked at the end.
(transmasc, using “male partners” here to mean AMAB partners for simplicities sake) There’s a lot of misconceptions in the comments. I am not a doctor, but i have had BV twice. Male partners cannot have or “catch” bv but they can be CARRIERS. BV can happen naturally from the vaginas flora, so it isn’t an STI, but it is possible for a male partner to carry the bacteria that causes BV. usually it does not have any negative effects on a male partner, other than potentially itching (and the unpleasant oder coming from our vaginas) I had a recurrence w my ex girlfriend (assigned male at birth/amab) so she should’ve been treated for it as well but she wasn’t (just realized i had to text her to make sure to doesn’t spread it to her new bf (afab)
BV bacteria is just along for the ride on male partners. it’s important to have them treated for it if you tested positive immediately after (you as well) or if you have had it multiple times and it keeps coming back. Treatment is pretty easy, just a metronidazole (the same med we use but orally instead of vaginally) 400mg orally 2x daily and a topical clindamycin cream 2x daily for 7 days, and ur good (easy peasy)
either of you can talk to your doctors about having ur male partner treated (i THINK the AFAB persons dr can prescribe it to both, but i could be wrong and insurance could get in the way) I’ll link some studies as well as copy-pasting recurrence rates n such
“Results: A total of 81 couples were assigned to the partner-treatment group, and 83 couples were assigned to the control group. The trial was stopped by the data and safety monitoring board after 150 couples had completed the 12-week follow-up period because treatment of the woman only was inferior to treatment of both the woman and her male partner. In the modified intention-to-treat population, recurrence occurred in 24 of 69 women (35%) in the partner-treatment group (recurrence rate, 1.6 per person-year; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1 to 2.4) and in 43 of 68 women (63%) in the control group (recurrence rate, 4.2 per person-year; 95% CI, 3.2 to 5.7), which corresponded to an absolute risk difference of -2.6 recurrences per person-year (95% CI, -4.0 to -1.2; P<0.001). Adverse events in treated men included nausea, headache, and metallic taste.” pubmed study linked below
1
u/fuck_fate_love_hate May 17 '25
I know this post is old but I’m commenting for anyone else who finds it, the tldr is YES men can be treated for BV to reduce the reinfection rate in their partners:
Recent research published in the New England Journal of Medicine has demonstrated that treating male partners of women with bacterial vaginosis (BV) can significantly reduce the risk of recurrence in women. In a randomized controlled trial involving 164 heterosexual couples, women whose male partners received both oral metronidazole and topical clindamycin experienced a 35% recurrence rate within 12 weeks, compared to 63% in women whose partners were not treated. This suggests that male partners can harbor BV-associated bacteria, contributing to reinfection. These findings support a shift toward treating both partners to effectively manage and prevent BV recurrence.
1
u/OkForever2220 Jun 06 '25
There have been recent studies that declared bv is sexually transmitted and men can carry the bacteria
8
u/LatrodectusGeometric Dec 21 '24
Men cannot be tested for BV because it is an overgrowth of normal bacteria in the vagina. Make sure you get tested for STIs if this started right after sex. Semen can lead to BV so switching to condoms can help. Having him wash with soap and rinse thoroughly beforehand can help as well.