Participants sought: Treating male partners of women with bacterial vaginosis (BV) to reduce recurrence

See more about the study at bvstepup.org.au

Are you a male partner of a woman who has had bacterial vaginosis? We would love to hear from you for a study we are running!

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common cause of abnormal vaginal discharge in women of reproductive age, and can be associated with important adverse pregnancy outcomes and increased risk of HIV and sexually transmitted infections. Current recommended antibiotic treatments are effective initially, but 1 in 2 women will get their BV back again within 6 months of treatment.

We hypothesise that reinfection from sexual partners may be contributing to the high rates of women getting BV again after treatment. Studies have shown that women who have the same male sex partner before and after being treated for their BV are more likely to get their BV back again, and the bacteria associated with BV are present on the penile skin and within the urethra of male partners of women with BV.

The Step Up Randomised Control Trial investigates if treating male partners of women with BV prevents their BV from coming back. It also investigates how couple treatment effects BV-associated bacteria present on the genitals.

Find out more:

• Contact:  Dr Lenka Vodstrcil, Melbourne Sexual Health Centre
• Email:  stopbv@mshc.org.au 
• Phone:  (03) 9341 6244
• Web:  https://bvstepup.org.au/ 
• Ethics Committee Project Number:  506/18