Q: I have a fishy vaginal odor that is so bad that people don't want to sit
next to me! I have been using an over-the-counter yeast infection treatment,
but it is not helping at all. My only sexual partner for years has been
my husband. Please help!
Dr. Donnica: While yeast infections are a common causes of vaginal discharge,
they do not generally cause a "fishy" odor. That offender is usually
an infection called "gardnerella" which causes bacterial vaginosis.
While this infection can be passed between partners, it is not a sexually transmitted
disease (STD). Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is one of the chief causes of vaginal
odor. This odor may become more pronounced after having sex. BV is treatable
with one of two medicines by prescription only: metronidazole or clindamycin.
