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What are the Most Common Symptoms of Bacterial Vaginal Infection?

Nicole Madison
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Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 26,820
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In many cases, a woman may have a bacterial vaginal infection without being aware of it. These infections only seem to cause obvious symptoms in some women. When symptoms do occur, however, they typically include an abnormal vaginal discharge, an unpleasant odor, and itching or irritation of the vagina. In some cases, a woman with a bacterial vaginal infection will also experience pain during sexual intercourse and urinating as well as spotting between normal menstrual periods. If complications of a bacterial infection occur, a woman may also experience pain in other parts of the body, fever, nausea, and vomiting.

The symptoms of bacterial vaginal infection typically depend on the type of bacteria that caused the infection. For example, a woman may develop bacterial vaginosis, which is marked by itchiness, a milky white or grayish discharge from the vagina, and an unpleasant odor that is often described as a fishy smell. The types of bacteria that may cause bacterial vaginosis include Gardnerella vaginalis, Gardnerella mobiluncus, and Mycoplasma hominis. Often, women do not seek treatment for this condition because they either do not experience symptoms or mistake them for those of a yeast infection.

Chlamydia is another type of bacteria infection that affects the vagina. The symptoms of bacterial vaginal infection caused by chlamydia include an abnormal discharge and itching or burning in the vaginal area. A woman may also experience pain in the lower back or abdomen, nausea, fever, and bleeding between menstrual periods with this disease. Additionally, some women may experience pain during sexual intercourse. Chlamydia is caused by a bacterium called Chlamydia trachomatis.

Sometimes the symptoms of bacterial vaginal infection are caused by a condition called gonorrhea. This condition, caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae, may not be accompanied by any symptoms. When it does cause symptoms, they may include an abnormal discharge from the vagina, pain during urination, and bleeding between menstrual periods.

In some cases, symptoms of bacterial vaginal infection never develop, or are very mild, and the infection goes untreated. In such a case, a woman may develop a complication of the illness called pelvic inflammatory disease. This is marked by infection of the pelvic organs and can lead to severe illness and infertility. To avoid this, a woman may do well to see a doctor if she thinks she has been exposed to a sexually transmitted disease or if she has symptoms of a bacterial infection. Additionally, women who have unprotected sex outside of a monogamous relationship may benefit from frequent testing.

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Nicole Madison
By Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison's love for learning inspires her work as a WiseGeek writer, where she focuses on topics like homeschooling, parenting, health, science, and business. Her passion for knowledge is evident in the well-researched and informative articles she authors. As a mother of four, Nicole balances work with quality family time activities such as reading, camping, and beach trips.

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Discussion Comments
By kylee07drg — On Sep 24, 2012

@cloudel – The fact that your vaginal yeast infection treatment isn't working is a sure sign that something else is wrong. I went to my doctor for what I thought was a yeast infection, and she told me that I actually had bacterial vaginosis in addition to it.

That's why the treatment hadn't worked. She gave me antibiotics for the BV, but she was concerned, because antibiotics can actually cause a yeast infection. So, she gave me a pill to treat the yeast infection, and I was supposed to take it at the same time as the antibiotic.

She also told me to eat a carton of yogurt every day while taking the antibiotics. This is supposed to prevent a yeast infection.

By cloudel — On Sep 23, 2012

Is it possible to have both a vaginal yeast infection and a bacterial infection at the same time? I've been having the symptoms of a yeast infection, but it isn't responding to the over-the-counter treatment I've been using. Since it has always worked to get rid of yeast infections in the past, I think something else might be up.

By orangey03 — On Sep 23, 2012

@healthy4life – Vaginal bacterial infections should never be left untreated. My friend also had pelvic inflammatory disease, and she went for months without going to a doctor.

By the time that she did have an exam, she had become infertile. PID causes scar tissue to develop, and this makes it really hard to get pregnant.

By healthy4life — On Sep 22, 2012

My friend had gonorrhea, and she was too ashamed to go to the doctor for it. Her mother didn't know that she had even had sex, and she was only a teenager, so she didn't want to tell her.

Once she started having fever and severe pain, she couldn't hide the fact that something was wrong. Her mother took her to the emergency room, and she had to confess.

The doctor said that her condition had progressed to pelvic inflammatory disease. She had to take antibiotics, and luckily, that was all it took to cure her. Some people have to have surgery because of this!

Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison's love for learning inspires her work as a WiseGeek writer, where she focuses on topics like...
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