Sexual Health | Vaginal discharge, vulvitis and balanitis | Recurrent BV, candida and TV

Recurrent BV, candida and TV
Session overview
Description
This session covers the aetiology, natural history, predisposing factors, clinical presentation, and management of vaginal recurrent bacterial vaginosis (BV), candidiasis, and trichomonas vaginalis (TV) infection in adults.

Learning objectives
By the end of this session you will be able to:

• describe the frequency and presentation of recurrent bacterial vaginosis, candidiasis and TV in adults
• identify the predisposing factors for recurrent infections
• list the preferred diagnostic tests for recurrent BV, candidiasis and TV
• identify treatment regimens for the effective management of recurrent BV, candidiasis and TV
• describe the management of sexual partners

Prerequisites
Before commencing this session you should complete the following sessions:

• Diagnosing trichomoniasis(read details regarding the session)
• Diagnosing candidiasis(read details regarding the session)
• Diagnosing bacterial vaginosis(read details regarding the session)
• Trichomonas vaginalis(read details regarding the session)
• Candida and yeast infections(read details regarding the session)
• Bacterial vaginosis

Recurrent vulvovaginal symptoms are common. Bacterial vaginosis (BV) and candidiasis are the most frequent causes of recurrent vaginal discharge. Candidiasis and TV are the most frequent infective causes of recurrent vulvitis. However, there are many other conditions giving rise to these symptoms and accurate diagnosis is essential to ensure appropriate management.

Lack of understanding of the aetiology and pathogenesis of recurrent BV and candidiasis has made effective management difficult but recent advances have led to improvements in control of recurrences. Lack of treatment options for antibiotic resistant TV remains a challenge.