Can I Test for BV at Home?

The vaginal microbiome is one of the coolest elements of human evolution we can think of. Seriously! Inside your vagina, you have close to 600 species of bacteria, feeding off your glycogen and producing lactic acid as a result. The vagina’s acidity is what keeps harmful pathogens and other nasties at bay!

But when the delicate balance of bacteria gets thrown off? That’s when infections like bacterial vaginosis (BV) make themselves at home. BV is an incredibly common vaginal infection, so let’s go ahead and talk about it! We’re here to discuss how to know if you have BV and how to test and treat BV at home.

How do I know if I have BV?

BV is caused by an imbalance in the normal levels of bacteria in your vaginal microbiome, which should be dominated by the amazing bacteria lactobacilli. That’s why some researchers don’t view BV as an infection but as a complex microbial imbalance (1)! Okay, science moment over. 🤓

So, how do you know if you have BV? This one can be a little bit tricky since a lot of BV symptoms can be confused for yeast infections, mycoplasma, ureaplasma or trichomonas symptoms—or have no symptoms at all.

How to tell if you have BV:

• Recognize the signs and symptoms: Unfortunately, BV infections are often recurring. So, after your first infection, you might be able to recognize your symptoms of BV.
• Take a BV test at home: If your symptoms look BV-suspicious or you want to be sure, you can take an at-home BV test. BV tests are available online (pick up our comprehensive vaginal screen in collaboration with Daye!) or at a pharmacy and offer instant or lab-verified results, depending on the test. These tests usually test for pH, and while pH alone isn’t a definitive diagnosis, it can give you extra insight to pair with your symptoms!
• Talk with a healthcare professional: Reaching out to a healthcare professional in person or online is a great way to verify your diagnosis and start treating your infection. Get started with Wisp–no in-person appointment or insurance necessary!

What are BV symptoms?

Like we’ve mentioned, bacterial vaginosis is the most common infection among vagina-havers! Since up to 70 percent of us will have this infection at least once, it’s important to know and recognize the symptoms of BV (2). But, BV can come with super mild symptoms or no symptoms at all (that’s why we love tests!).

Common symptoms of bacterial vaginosis include:

• Off-white, grayish, or greenish discharge that’s thin or foamy
• Discharge with a strong fishy odor, especially after vaginal sex
• Pain, irritation, or itching around your vagina
• A burning feeling when you pee
• A vaginal pH above 4.5

Even at the doctor’s office, diagnosing BV can be difficult because of the subjective diagnostic criteria (3). Like, what is grayish-greenish anyway?? So, if you’re experiencing any of the common symptoms, go ahead and take a bacterial vaginosis test and seek out BV treatment online! You’ll get rid of BV and keep the harmful issues BV can cause from getting in your way.

What causes bacterial vaginosis?

Even though BV is super common, the exact cause isn’t totally understood. We know that BV happens when lactobacilli numbers decline and other bacteria flourish–specifically Gardnerella Vaginalis. BV is not a sexually transmitted infection (STI), but having sex does increase your risk, along with some other factors.

Certain things can increase your risk of BV, including:

• HSV-2
• Pregnancy
• Using douches
• Having an IUD
• Taking antibiotics
• Smoking cigarettes
• Having a new sex partner
• Having multiple sex partners
• Having sex without condoms
• Having sex with someone assigned female at birth

While we’re definitely not a fan that these factors can increase your risk of developing BV, we’re glad that BV tests and treatment are more readily available and easier to access than ever before. Meaning, you can get tests and treatment online! Want to know how to test for BV at home? More on that below.

How do I test for BV at home?

Okay, onto the good stuff! There are a few different options for at-home bacterial vaginosis tests, some available at pharmacies and others online. Plus, studies have shown that women can accurately perform BV tests by themselves–saving you the trip to the doctor’s office and the visit with a speculum (3).

Vaginal pH tests

Remember that glycogen for lactic acid swap happening inside your vagina? A balanced microbiome keeps things nice and acidic, but certain infections – both BV and trich – raise your vaginal pH and make it less acidic. That’s why checking on your vaginal pH is a common way to test for BV.

These bacterial vaginosis test kits include a sterile swab for collecting a sample from your vaginal wall. For the most accurate results, follow the test’s instructions to ensure proper sample collection. Depending on the test, you place the sample on a test strip that changes color or the swab itself changes color. Then you compare the color to a provided chart to determine your pH level!

If your pH is higher than 4.5, this means you might have BV or trich. If you have some irritating symptoms but your pH stays in the normal range of 3.8 to 4.5, you might have a yeast infection.

pH tests aren’t the most conclusive way to diagnose BV, but they’re a quick and cost-effective first step in the process! Understanding your pH and monitoring your other symptoms can help you narrow down which infection you’re dealing with–so you can get treatment and move on.

Lab tests

If you’re looking for more comprehensive results, at-home lab tests are a great option! These tests also use a swab to collect a sample from your vaginal wall, but you send in your sample to a lab for more thorough analysis. After that, you’ll get your results in about a week.

Lab tests are a more expensive route than pH tests because they look for several different vaginal conditions and can definitively assess the microorganism causing the microbiome imbalance. Most test for BV, yeast infections, and certain STIs. Some lab tests also give you a full report on the condition of your vaginal microbiome, so you can understand everything there is to know about your bacteria levels!

How do I treat BV from home?

After you’ve figured out that you have BV, it’s time to get rid of it! While BV can go away on its own, if you have symptoms for a week or more, you should seek treatment—having BV can cause inflammation that increases your risk of getting STIs and/or developing Pelvic Inflammatory Disease that can mess with your fertility. So! We’ve got a whole list of BV treatments online and without an appointment.

Prescription medication: At Wisp, we offer the most effective FDA-approved medication to treat BV. These prescriptions can be taken orally as tablets or applied directly to the vagina in the form of creams or gels. Treatments for BV include:

• Metronidazole (Flagyl): This prescription is available as a tablet or a vaginal gel, depending on your stomach’s sensitivity to antibiotics!
• Clindamycin (Cleocin): Wisp offers this prescription as a cream and it comes with a handy applicator to make insertion quick and easy.

Over-the-counter medication: If you’re wondering how to get rid of BV without antibiotics, boric acid suppositories might be for you! Boric acid isn't a cure, but it can help to restore the natural acidic balance of the vagina and has properties to stop bacterial/fungal growth. You can take boric acid on its own as a natural preventative or alongside prescription medication.

Probiotics: Give lactobacilli a helping hand in keeping your vaginal microbiome balanced! Seriously, probiotics are your microbiome’s BFF. They help prevent recurring BV and other vaginal infections, fight against diarrhea from antibiotics, and so much more.

Alright, we hope you’re feeling informed, empowered, and ready to keep your microbiome balanced! And if you can feel BV or another infection coming on? Don’t sweat it–that’s why we exist. Wisp makes it easy to get treatment for BV online and without a doctor’s appointment. Because let’s be real: we ❤️ healthy vaginas.