Current Treatment Strategies and Effectiveness of Adjunct Therapy in the Treatment of Recurrent Bacterial Vaginosis

Authors

• Annie Forte, University of LynchburgFollow

Specialty

Gynecology

Advisor

Thomas Colletti

Abstract

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a common vaginal infection in women with recurrence rates of 50%-80% in those treated with metronidazole, tinidazole, or clindamycin. While Lactobacillus spp. bacteria have been found to potentially reduce the recurrence of BV and positively influence the restoration of a healthy vaginal biome, clinical data is inconsistent regarding the strains and dosages optimal for treatment. The objective of this research is to compile data from various scholarly databases on the efficacy of adjunct treatments for preventing recurrent BV, to give more uniform guidelines for use, and to highlight the strains of probiotics that are noted to be most beneficial. All studies were sourced from PubMed, Google Scholar, and EBSCO databases from 2021 to 2026.  Randomized Controlled trials (RCTs), systematic reviews, and meta-analyses published in English were used to compile the data, evaluating the effectiveness of various probiotic strains both orally and vaginally, as well as other adjunct treatments, such as boric acid.   Keywords and MeSH phrases were used to source relevant studies.

L. rhamnosus, L. crispatus, and L. gasseri are some of the Lactobacillus spp. strains isolated that showed promise, in multiple studies, in restoring a healthy vaginal biome after BV treatment and reducing the risk of recurrence.  In conclusion, probiotics can be an effective adjunct treatment for the prevention of recurrent BV, but will yield better results if treatment is customized to each patient based on vaginal pH, and vaginal biome profile

Recommended Citation

Forte A. Current Treatment Strategies and Effectiveness of Adjunct Therapy in the Treatment of Recurrent Bacterial Vaginosis. University of Lynchburg DMSc Doctoral Project Assignment Repository. 2026; 8(1).