09-28-2009, 11:00 PM
Bacterial vagina's is a mild infection of the vagina caused by bacteria. Normally, there are a lot of "good" bacteria and some "bad" bacteria in the vagina. The good types help control the growth of the bad types. In women with bacterial vagina's, the balance is upset. There are not enough good bacteria and too many bad bacteria.Bacterial vagina's is usually a mild problem that may go away on its own in a few days.
Experts are not sure what causes the bacteria in the vagina to get out of balance. But certain things make it more likely to happen. Your risk of getting bacterial vagina's is higher if you:
Have more than one sex partner or have a new sex partner.
Smoke.
Douche.
You may be able to avoid bacterial vagina's if you limit your number of sex partners and don't douche or smoke.
Doctors usually prescribe an antibiotic to treat bacterial vagina's. The ones used most often are metronomes (such as Flagyl) and conducing (such as Cleocin). They come as pills you swallow or as a cream or capsules (called ovules) that you put in your vagina.
Bacterial vagina's usually clears up in 2 or 3 days with antibiotics, but treatment goes on for 7 days. Do not stop using your medicine just because your symptoms are better. Be sure to take the full course of antibiotics.
HPV/Genital Warts:
The human papillomavirus virus (HPV) is a collection of viruses that cause warts on the hands, feet, and genitals. Some HPVs are sexually transmitted and also cause cervical cancer.
Infection by genital HPV (human papillomavirus) is very common. At least half of people who are sexually active will contract the HPV virus at some point in their lives. Yet many will not know it because they will not have any symptoms.
Whether symptoms occur or not can depend on the type of HPV virus involved in the infection. There are more than 100 types of HPV. Some HPV types are associated with genital warts, although the warts are not always visible.
You're more likely to get HPV if you:
Have sex at an early age
Have many sex partners
Have a sex partner who has had multiple partners
Often, there are no symptoms of an HPV infection and the body clears the infection on its own over the course of a few years. Some people never know they were infected. In fact, research has found that about 90% of women infected with HPV show no traces of the virus within two years.
When an HPV infection with high-risk types persists, it can cause abnormal changes in the cells of the cervix. Rarely, it may also cause abnormal changes in penile and anal cells.
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