I've been struggling for the past few months with BV (Bacterial Vaginosis) and I'm really freaking out about my sex life.

I'm embarrassed because of the symptoms and afraid that I'm just too gross to be touched or anything. I certainly won't ask my boyfriend to go down on me while I'm having discharge....but I miss oral sex. o.o Would a dental dam make it any better? Or...I don't know...does anyone have experience with using dental dams? Can you feel anything?

He's been very supportive of course...but we've had sex once in three months...and then only for like...two minutes, and no oral of course, and no touching...and I'm starting to feel really depressed about it because I really love physical affection and attention. I have no idea when I'll kick this infection....some people on the gyno boards have had BV for years on end...so I'm looking for alternative and trying not to give up hope.

I don't know how sexy a dental dam would be.... Have you discussed this with your doctor? They have ointements now that are for BV.

Are you on medication for the BV? The doctors have a one time pill that is supposed to clear it up rather quickly. Three months is a long time to have BV. You should definately have had it cleared up within a couple of weeks.

You should not put anything into your vagina when you have any sort of infection. It can further irritate things and make it worse. Or, you can keep reinfecting yourself. You really aren't supposed to have sex either.

I recommend you get that cleared up before you try to do anything else.

If you insist on having sex, I am not sure if a dental dam would help. It is not so much the discharge that is really a problem, but the smell. BV gives off a "fishy" foul odor. Probably best to avoid oral until it is cleared up.

I posted in the chronic BV forum. I've been on metrogel twice, metrodinazole once, clindesse once, tried hydrogen peroxide, have been taking acidophilus for over a month, and have been eating yogurt. I've bought all new cotton underwear, have always wiped front to back, exercise every day, eat greens and such, and use detergent without dyes and special smells....and it still won't go away.

I spent a while not having sex at all. But...if this isn't going to go away....I don't feel like being celibate AND diseasey. That's even more depressing than the situation already is.

So...I'd gladly forego carnal pleasure if I thought it would do anything, but at the moment I'm plainly just stuck.

lutinlady,

Have you tried anything to help balance out the ph levels in the vagina? I have heard that women who just can't get rid of BV or yeast infections have problems with their ph levels. So no matter how many medications you take to kill the infection, the problems will keep coming back because your natural defenses aren't working.

You may have heard this before, but just thought I would throw it out there anyway.

Yeah....the only thing that seems to have helped much is rephresh, which changes pH levels. It saved me after I made it SO MUCH WORSE with douching. I talked to the clinic nurse (I'd also seen a gyno for a second opinion) and I went off birth control in January to try to get everything as evened out as possible, so she said to wait until I'd had a period and then go from there to see what we can do. But yes....thank you for this, I will focus on the pH as traditional medicine seems to have abandoned me. Or my vagina abandoned it, whatever.

Hadn't had sex for more than a month and then came back to school (college freshman...) and had a nice welcome home weekend, and the conditioned hasn't worsened. So.....we'll see.

Thank you very much for the prompt