The fishy smell of bacterial vaginosis (BV) comes from amines — chemical byproducts made by anaerobic bacteria that overgrow when protective lactobacilli are lost. The odor is strongest after sex beca
With treatment, bacterial vaginosis (BV) usually clears in a few days to about a week — standard antibiotics cure most acute episodes, with symptoms easing within the first days. Without treatment, BV
To prevent bacterial vaginosis, protect the Lactobacillus bacteria that keep the vagina mildly acidic: don't douche, use condoms correctly every time, and limit new or multiple partners. There's no va
BV probiotics are Lactobacillus -based supplements meant to restore the protective vaginal bacteria that bacterial vaginosis wipes out. They don't cure an active infection — antibiotics do that. The e
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is not classified as a sexually transmitted infection, but it's strongly linked to sexual activity. It comes from an imbalance in the bacteria that normally live in the vagina
Untreated BV (bacterial vaginosis) often clears on its own, but leaving it untreated raises real risks: it makes acquiring HIV and other STIs more likely, can spread to the upper reproductive tract, a
The main complications of pubic lice come not from the insects themselves but from what scratching does to the skin. Persistent itching breaks the skin, opening the door to secondary bacterial infecti
To prevent crabs and avoid reinfestation, limit skin-to-skin sexual contact with new or untreated partners, treat every partner from the last month at the same time, and decontaminate bedding and clot
Recurring crabs almost always come from one of three fixable gaps: live nits that survived the first treatment and hatched, an untreated sex partner who reinfects you, or bedding and clothes that were
To test for crabs at home, examine the coarse hair of your pubic and perianal area under good light, ideally with a magnifying lens, looking for slow-moving lice or for nits (eggs) cemented to hair sh
Crabs (pubic lice) are treated with an over-the-counter lice medication: 1% permethrin lotion or a pyrethrins-with-piperonyl-butoxide mousse applied to the pubic hair and other affected areas, then re
Pubic lice (crabs) are tiny tan-to-grayish insects about the size of a pinhead, with a wide, crab-shaped body and claw-like front legs that grip coarse hair. Their eggs, called nits, are oval, yellowi
Serious complications from genital herpes are uncommon. Most people get little more than periodic skin sores. The risks worth knowing are a severe first outbreak, passing the virus to a partner (often
Living with genital herpes means managing a common, lifelong skin condition — not living in crisis. Most people have few or mild outbreaks, daily antiviral pills can make recurrences rare and lower th
Herpes is diagnosed in two ways, depending on whether you have a sore. If you have an active lesion, a clinician swabs it for type-specific virologic testing (NAAT or culture) — the most reliable meth
For at-home herpes outbreak relief, keep the sores clean and dry, manage pain with cool compresses and over-the-counter analgesics, wear loose cotton clothing, and start a prescribed antiviral early.
Yes — you can carry herpes and pass it on without ever having a symptom. Most people with genital herpes never recognize an outbreak, and the majority of HSV-2 infections go undiagnosed CDC. People wi
Genital herpes can spread without penetrative sex. The virus passes through skin-to-skin contact with a sore, with infected genital skin, or with saliva when oral herpes is present — including from so
A first herpes outbreak usually lasts a week or more: small blisters break into painful sores, then crust and heal over that span, sometimes with fever and swollen glands CDC. Repeat outbreaks are sho
Genital herpes is a common, lifelong viral infection caused by herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) or type 2 (HSV-2) CDC. It spreads through skin and fluid contact, often with no visible sore. There's
To prevent genital herpes, limit direct skin and mucous-membrane contact with the virus: use condoms or dental dams consistently, avoid sex during a partner's visible outbreak, ask partners about thei
Herpes recurrence happens because the virus stays in your nerves for life and reactivates from time to time — it's the same infection coming back, not a new one. Genital HSV-2 recurs the most, often s
Herpes in the throat (pharyngeal HSV) is a herpes simplex infection of the back of the mouth and throat, usually caught during oral sex with someone shedding the virus. It causes a sore throat, painfu
Genital warts can hurt, but most of the time they don't. They're usually painless, soft bumps in the genital area. When they do cause symptoms, the most common are itching, mild irritation, and occasi