COMBINED ORAL AND TOPICAL ANTIBIOTIC THERAPY FOR MALE PARTNERS OF WOMEN WITH BACTERIAL VAGINOSIS: A PILOT STUDY

Abstract

More than 50% of women experience recurrence of bacterial vaginosis (BV) within 3–6 months following first-line antibiotics. Increasing evidence suggests that reinfection from an untreated sexual partner contributes to BV-recurrence. We conducted a pilot study of combined oral and topical antibiotic treatment of male partners of women being treated for BV. Women attending Melbourne Sexual Health Centre with symptomatic BV (≥3 Amsel’s criteria and Nugent Score[NS]=4–10) were recruited with their regular male partner (RSP). Women received oral metronidazole 400 mg twice daily (BD; or 2% clindamycin cream nocte, if contraindicated), for 7-days. Males received oral metronidazole 400 mg BD and 2%..