Recurrent bacterial vaginosis

What it means

Repeated symptomatic episodes of inflammation of the vagina that can result from a spectrum of conditions that cause vaginal and sometimes vulvar symptoms, such as itching, burning, irritation, odor, and vaginal discharge.

The most common infectious causes of vaginitis are bacterial vaginosis, vulvovaginal candidiasis, and trichomoniasis. Physicians traditionally diagnose vaginitis using the combination of symptoms, physical examination, pH of vaginal fluid, microscopy, and the whiff test.

In everyday care

Most people with this sign do not have a rare disease — it appears in common conditions far more often. These general reference pages cover the same topic:

Rare diseases that can present with this1

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category

Also called: Vaginitis · Vulvovaginitis