Public health researchers have found that women who have bacterial vaginosis (BV), a common vaginal infection, may be more susceptible to contracting HIV. It is unclear what the nature of the relationship between the two sexually transmitted diseases is. One theory is that BV changes the environment of the vagina by depleting “healthy” bacteria that usually defend against infections. BV also decreases the acidity of the vaginal environment, which may allow the HIV virus to better survive and cause infection. Full Story.
Tags: bacterial vaginosis, BV, HIV, infection, STD
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Dr. Steven Chang, the author of DailyDose, is a staff physician with Kosmix RightHealth. Dr. Chang practices Family Medicine at the University of California Davis Medical Center, where his medical interests include both pediatric and geriatric care, public health, gay and lesbian health, and sleep medicine. Dr. Chang trained at the Stanford University affiliated O'Connor Hospital, and was a research fellow at the National Institute of Health. He holds an M.D. from McGill University and a BA in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.