Risk Factors for Bacterial Vaginosis

Any woman can get bacterial vaginosis. While not much is known about how a woman gets bacterial vaginosis, some things can upset the normal balance of bacteria in the vagina and put women more at risk:

• Having a new sex partner or multiple sex partners.
• Douching.
• Using an intrauterine device (IUD) for birth control.

Bacterial vaginosis rarely affects women who have never had sexual intercourse. If you are pregnant and have bacterial vaginosis, you are more at risk for certain problems. These can include having babies born early or with low birth weight