For decades, bacterial vaginosis has been treated as a women’s health issue—but new research suggests treating male partners could dramatically cut recurrence rates.

Women experience fewer repeat infections with bacterial vaginosis when both they and their male sex partners receive antibiotics.

New research suggests that bacterial vaginosis, a common vaginal condition, might actually be an STI.The study found that treating both men and women in a couple for the condition led to far fewer reinfections than just treating the woman—which is the current practice.

We’ve suspected for a long time that it’s a sexually transmitted infection (STI), because it has a similar incubation period (after sex) to most STIs and is associated with

Fact checked by Nick Blackmer Bacterial vaginosis (BV) has been considered a bacterial imbalance in the vagina, rather than a sexually transmitted infection (STI). New research is challenging this assumption.