Effectiveness of current therapy of bacterial vaginosis

The study was conducted in order to evaluate effectiveness of the treatment of bacterial vaginosis (BV) with different therapeutic regimes according to recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO). During a one-year period (February 2000-February 2001) the Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) Center was visited by 482 women aged 14-51. The diagnosis of BV was established by standard methods: Amsel's clinical criteria and Gram stain of vaginal discharge. The first-line treatment was oral Metronidazole 2 g single dose. Second line was Metronidazole 500 mg twice daily orally for 7 days or oral Clindamycin 300 mg twice daily for seven days. BV was confirmed in 74 women (15.4%). Most often it was observed in women aged 17-30 years of age. Thirty-three (44.6% of total) were young women 14-21 years of age. Thirty-one (42%) women received a follow-up examination and of those, 11 (38.7%) needed a repeat treatment for BV due to unsatisfactory results of this treatment. It is concluded that treatment of BV with standard methods was not always effective with no significant difference between women under 21 years and older women found in regards to response to treatment. Besides antibiotic treatment, the so-called Probiotics (Lactobacillus acidophilus) can be taken into consideration as an alternative treatment. Additional research about the therapeutic effect of this type of drugs is needed.