Do I need to tell my partner I had BV?

Author: Aunt Vadge
Qualified Naturopath | BHSc(N)

Last reviewed: July 7, 2026

Dear Aunt Vadge,

I had BV in the past, and I have a new partner now. Am I supposed to tell them about it? I want to be honest, and it might come back, so I’m not sure whether to say something.

Worried
Age 24, USA

Dear Worried,

The thing that takes the pressure right off: BV is not a sexually transmitted infection. It’s an imbalance in your own vaginal microbiome – not something you ‘caught’, not something you did wrong, and not something you ‘give’ a partner like an STI – so there’s no disclosure obligation here at all.

Whether you mention it is entirely your call, for connection’s sake rather than duty’s: share it as part of being open with someone if you’d like, or keep it to yourself, because your health history is yours.

Where a bit of inside knowledge beats a confession is this: even though BV isn’t transmitted like an STI, sex really does influence it. A new partner changes the mix (semen is alkaline, and every partner brings their own microbiome), and BV flaring with a new relationship is incredibly common.

Not your fault, just chemistry.

So the useful move isn’t to brace your partner for bad news, it’s to know that if it flares, it’s normal and manageable. You can settle it (our free Killing BV guide walks through how), and if it becomes a recurring pattern with the same partner, there’s growing evidence that treating him too can help break the cycle, which is a far more useful conversation than an apology.

So: no guilt, no obligation, and a bit of knowledge in your back pocket. Go and enjoy your new person.

Warmly,
Aunt Vadge

This is general information based on our clinical experience, not a substitute for personalised medical advice.