A telehealth appointment with an experienced AHPRA-registered, Australian doctor, to request assessment/treatment online, costs $26.99 (plus delivery, where applicable). Same day appointments are usually available.

First, you’ll answer some online questions, then you’ll have a telehealth or phone consultation with one of our doctors. The doctor will ask some questions to establish a diagnosis and to ensure that:

• you are otherwise well, with no signs of serious illness
• there are no symptoms of pelvic infection
• there are no contraindications to treatment

Following your appointment, if a prescription is issued, it can be sent to your pharmacy. Or you can request for a paper prescription or the medication itself to be posted to you. Please note, all treatment and advice is issued subject to your consultation and doctor’s assessment.

Yes. Qoctor can provide assessment for suspected Bacterial Vaginosis online, if you have previously been diagnosed with BV and are having a recurrence of the same symptoms.

First, you’ll need to have a telehealth or phone consultation with one of our doctors. The doctor will ask some questions to establish the diagnosis and to ensure that:

• you are otherwise well
• there are no symptoms of more serious pelvic infection
• there are no contraindications to treatment

Following your appointment, if a prescription is issued, it can be sent electronically to your pharmacy. Or you can request for a paper prescription or the medication itself to be posted to you.

To book an appointment with an AHPRA registered, Australian doctor, to request BV treatment start <HERE>. Same day appointments are usually available, from $26.99..

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) occurs when the balance of the bacteria normally present in the vagina (particularly lactobacilli) is disrupted. It affects around 1 in 10 women at some point in their lives. In BV, there is an overgrowth of other bacteria. It is not clear how women get Bacterial Vaginosis, but there are some factors that seem to contribute:

• It is more common in women who are sexually active.
• It sometimes develops after intercourse with a new partner.
• Women who have female sexual partners may be at higher risk of BV than women who have sex with male partners only.
• Some evidence suggests that the use of condoms may reduce the risk of BV.
• around 50% of women who get BV will get a recurrence within six to 12 months
• treating the male partner of a woman who has BV does not seem to reduce the risk of recurrence, but further research is being done on this.

A normal, healthy vagina is home to a variety of different bacteria. However, in Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) the balance is disturbed, and an overgrowth of some of these bacteria occurs. It’s not entirely clear why this happens. The most common symptom is a change in vaginal discharge, which may become white-grey in colour and may have a fishy smell. However, many women with BV do not have any symptoms at all (up to half of cases).

Bacterial Vaginosis is not a sexually transmitted infection (although using condoms does seem to make it less likely to develop). It can affect all women, whether they have had sex or not, but it is more common in sexually active women. Male sexual partners of women who have BV do not need any treatment, though female sexual partners may.

In women of reproductive age, BV is the most common cause of vaginal discharge.

Women are more likely to get BV if they:

• are sexually active
• have recently changed sexual partner
• have a history of sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
• are smokers
• have a copper coil for contraception
• use bubble bath

Women are less likely to get BV if:

• they use the combined oral contraceptive pill
• they have a partner who has had a circumcision
• their partner uses a condom

BV is usually diagnosed on the basis of symptoms, and can be confirmed by taking a vaginal swab, performed by a doctor or nurse. You may also need tests for STIs such as chlamydia and gonorrhoea. If you are pregnant, and suspect you may have BV, it’s important to get tested and treated, as it can increase the risk of pregnancy-related complications.

In most women, BV causes no harm whatsoever, though the discharge may be unpleasant. However, if you have untreated BV during pregnancy, there is a slightly higher risk of premature labour, miscarriage, preterm birth and having a baby with a low birthweight. If you are pregnant and suspect you may have BV, you should see your GP or midwife. BV can also cause complications if you have had recent gynaecological surgery- the chance of developing an infection of the womb is higher.

There is also some evidence that women with untreated BV may be at an increased risk of getting other STIs and Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID).

For women in whom BV has been diagnosed, antibiotics will usually quickly get rid of the symptoms. Treatment for bacterial vaginosis can involve oral antibiotics or topical treatment (an antibiotic vaginal cream). However, in milder cases, there is a good chance that BV will gradually clear by itself, so treatment is not always required. 

If BV is picked up on a vaginal swab but a woman has no symptoms, there’s generally no need for treatment at all- it is acceptable to observe, and to treat if symptoms develop. However, exceptions to this include pregnancy, or recent gynaecological surgery- in these cases it’s usually recommended to have treatment, as there may be a higher risk of complications such as pelvic infection if left untreated. 

If you wish to speak to a doctor about treatment of BV, you can get started HERE

Telehealth assessment/treatment for BV may be suitable if you have been diagnosed with it before (via a swab), and the same symptoms have come back. If the symptoms are not the same, or you have other unexpected symptoms such as pain, fever or irregular vaginal bleeding, you should see a doctor in person for assessment.

Further testing is not generally needed if your BV symptoms get better. However, if the course of antibiotic treatment does not work, retesting is advisable, in case something else is causing the symptoms or the BV has not responded to treatment. Follow up testing may be recommended in pregnant women who have had BV, to ensure it has fully cleared with treatment. This is because BV in pregnancy can increase the risk of premature birth and low birthweight.

If you’ve had BV diagnosed and successfully treated in the past, but the same symptoms return after a period of time, another course of antibiotics may be considered. Qoctor can provide online assessment in this scenario.

However, if your symptoms did not fully respond to treatment in the first place, if the symptoms are not the same as before OR they come back pretty much immediately after treatment, you should see a doctor in person as you may need some tests make sure there’s nothing else going on.

Any symptoms that do not get better, or are different to previous symptoms, should always be discussed with a doctor.

Although BV is not an STI, if you have a female partner, she should consider being tested if she also has symptoms. However, a male partner does not need to be tested.