BV every time you have sex? Your partner might need treatment too
For years the answer was 'BV isn't an STI, there's nothing to treat in him.' A 2025 trial changed that — and it matters a lot if your symptoms track your sex life.
If your BV comes back with almost calendar precision after sex, you’re not imagining the pattern. And you’ve probably also heard the standard reply: BV isn’t a sexually transmitted infection, so there’s no reason to treat your partner.
That reply is now out of date.
What changed
In 2025 the New England Journal of Medicine published a randomised trial of couples where the woman had BV and her male partner was treated at the same time — an oral antibiotic plus a cream applied to the penis. Recurrence within twelve weeks was 35% when partners were treated, versus 63% when only the woman was. The trial was stopped early because the difference was so clear.
In other words: BV-associated bacteria live on partners too, and treating only one person can mean handing them straight back.
How to bring it up without it sounding like an accusation
BV doesn’t mean anyone cheated. It’s about shared bacteria, and it happens in faithful, long-term relationships all the time. Something like:
“My BV keeps coming back after sex, and there’s new research showing that treating partners at the same time cuts the recurrence almost in half. Would you be up for that?”
That’s it. A shared problem, a shared fix.
When you talk to a clinician
Partner treatment still isn’t routine everywhere — including in Sweden. Bring the study. Ask directly whether treating your partner alongside you is an option. If you have a female partner, mention that too: BV is shared between women as well, even though that trial focused on male partners.
And while you’re sorting it out, condoms reduce recurrence. Not forever — just long enough to break the loop.
Educational content, not medical advice. If something feels wrong, get it checked — and bring what you learned here to your appointment.
