This is from another thread that someone asked a while ago, and this is part of my answer:
*Tell her not to wear thong underwear. Any fecal matter that moves from the back of the strap to the front can cause an infection. If she likes cute underwear, I suggest boyshorts. Cotton is always best, because it’s breathable material. (Infections like dark, moist places.)
*Buy lots of yogurt and tell her to eat it some every day. The more live cultures, the better. Danactive is the best she can buy – no one out there makes yogurt with as many live cultures.
*If she does douche, tell her to stop. Doing so kills the natural, good bacteria that it takes to fight off infections. The antibiotics will also actually kill the good and bad bacteria, which is why yogurt is really important, especially while she’s on the medication and for right after.
*There’s a product on the market called RePhresh that apparently works wonders for women with this problem. It’s cheap and can be found on practically any isle that carries products for women. They’re gel inserts that women use once every three days or so and it keeps the pH levels balanced and infections away. The product does not cure the infection – it’s for use after someone has taken antibiotics. If you give her oral sex after the infection is gone, tell her to use it right after. Saliva can actually disrupt the natural balance of a woman’s vagina. Semen can, too. No sex toys, unless you know they’re very clean. If she uses the the product – sex is fine and oral is fine. People say it actually makes a good lubricant. It’s odorless and tasteless, so you shouldn’t have a problem with it, either.
*If your girlfriend has a pretty sugary diet – it needs to change. This kind of infection thrives off of sugar.
*Finally, men do get BV and they can give it to their partners. They’re simply lucky because they can’t display the smelly symptoms. So, if your girlfriend ends up getting this again, there’s a chance that you yourself have it. Taking the medication to rid yourself of an infection is a good idea. So when your girlfriend goes to be seen, it might be a good idea for you to go and also get a prescription for the medicine.
http://www.fluther.com/disc/55715/how-to-bring-up-a-sensitive-subject-such-as-strong-female/
In addition to that, I’ll add a little more here. The reason women get recurring infections after they’re prescribed antibiotics is because not only do they antibiotics kill the bad bacteria, they also kill the good bacteria. With all bacteria gone, the vagina becomes and remains a breeding ground for the bad bacteria. One thing you can do to possibly help combat that is to take acidophilus pills. Many people, although it isn’t proven, believe that acidophilus helps to keep the balance and PH levels in the vagina normal – which is the same reason a lot of doctors recommend yogurt.
However, if you choose to take acidophilus pills, you must do your research – and you have to buy pills that are refrigerated – because the bacteria won’t live long unless they’re cold. Also, there are a lot of pills on the market that say they contain acidophilus, but instead have different strains of the species. So either they won’t help at all, or they can actually hurt you. If you need brands, send me a private message because I did research that involved university studies on many acidophilus pills.
Another thing to consider, which you might want to try, is getting the antibiotics from your doctor again. As soon as they show signs of working and getting rid of the infection, buy a product that helps balance the PH levels in your vagina. The one I mentioned above apparently works – but no guarantee. You could also take the acidophilus pills during the time you’re taking antibiotics to help breed good bacteria – or as another alternative – you can eat yogurt with as many live cultures as possible (I suggest the drinks, because they have far more live cultures and higher levels of acidophilus than yogurt) but, you have to look for plain yogurt or yogurt that has very little sugar – because sugar is a breeding ground for the bad bacteria. Vaginas need to be pretty acidic to keep the infection at bay.
A lot of women also swear by vinegar – that has a 5% acidity level or higher. You mix it with water and douche, or soak a tampon in it and leave it in for about ten minutes. Because it’s acidic, it can be a little irritating, depending on your sensitivity level. This is also somewhat confusing and controversial, because douching overall is a big no-no if you’re prone to BV. A quick search will on the internet will provide you with a lot of tips from women who have had BV and tried many different things to get rid of it. Be extremely skeptical of any “tips” provided by a website that is trying to sell anything.
Ask your doctor about a different kind of medication. As far as I’m aware, they have two on the market right now, so if your doctor has only ever given you one of them – ask for the alternative. Unfortunately, they both kill the good bacteria, along with the bad. But you never know, one may work better for you than the other.
Lastly, I wish you the best of luck. More women battle with this problem than many people realize. Do not feel like you’re alone and don’t feel like you should be cleaner. It just happens, unfortunately. If you have a regular sex partner, make him go to the doctor’s with you! Tell him that you want him to get a prescription, along with you. Men DO carry it, they just don’t display the symptoms like women. More people need to know this.
Composing members:
0
Composing members:
0
