STIs — My Vagina

The cute happy lactobacilli bacteria are running a lemonade stand, and trich comes along and has a drink and hates it because it's so sour!

How protective vaginal bacteria fight trichomoniasis

Can probiotics fight trichomoniasis? How protective vaginal bacteria resist trich - and why they support treatment, not replace it.

BV and HIV play tennis together in a pink underground cave, to demonstrate that HIV risk increases in a sexual partner, if you have BV and are HIV positive.

Does your BV affect your partner’s HIV risk?

Can BV affect your partner's HIV risk? What the evidence says about bacterial vaginosis and HIV transmission, and why U=U comes first.

Two BV related bacteria try to catch HIV with a fishing line

Does BV make it easier to catch HIV?

Does bacterial vaginosis raise HIV risk? What the evidence says about BV, the vaginal microbiome and HIV susceptibility.

Cervix on a computer chip to enhance BV and STI research

Cervix-on-a-chip: how vaginal bacteria lower STI risk

An immune-capable 'cervix-on-a-chip' lets scientists watch protective L. crispatus shield against STIs in real time, confirming the microbiome shapes risk.

Big cute eyes are so curious about which STIs can affect the eyes!

The relationship between STIs and eye health

Got symptoms in the eyes and vagina? You may have an STI in your eye, affecting eye health. We exlpain what to do.

Using neem oil vaginally

Learn about the use of neem oil for vaginal infections and as a method of contraception in humans and animals.

Lysine/arginine foods list (searchable)

A searchable low lysine high arginine foods list for anyone wanting to maximise dietary choices to fight herpes outbreaks.

Cartoon of a cervix character wearing headphones and singing into a vintage microphone, captioned 'Testing 1 2 3!', on PCR and NGS vaginal testing

How to get a comprehensive vaginal, urinary and semen microbiome test

How to choose, prepare for and interpret a comprehensive vaginal, urinary and semen microbiome test.

Cartoon of a worried grey-haired woman in a blue jumper with a thought bubble reading 'What the f#*k is wrong with my vagina?'

Aunt Vadge: dry vagina, possible EBV, nobody can help me – help!

Extreme vaginal dryness and painful sex in your 70s? The likely driver is menopausal atrophy, not EBV - and there are real natural moisture avenues to explore.

Aunt Vadge: do I have herpes even though the test was negative?

Recurrent posterior fourchette tear but two negative herpes swabs? It's not herpes. The real drivers are yeast, dry friction (use the lube!), and a possible skin condition.

Illustration of a young woman in a pink hooded jacket looking straight ahead, with a jagged crack drawn across the top of the hood

Aunt Vadge: cuts around clitoral hood – is it herpes?

Recurring paper-cut splits by your clitoris - is it herpes? Probably not; herpes is painful sores, not thin cuts. The likely causes are friction, yeast, or a skin condition.

How getting wasted affects your vaginal ecosystem

A quick chat about getting wasted and how this affects your microbial colonies.

Comparison table – what type of bad vag do I have? (BV, AV, Trich, Yeast)

Easy reference table for determining your vaginal infection.

A cute little lab in hot pinks and blues.

Understanding vaginal PCR testing

An explanation of PCR testing for the vaginal microbiome with a list of what is tested for, and what is excluded.

Aunt Vadge: podosol for genital warts has given me sores – what can I use?

She used wart cream on her genital warts and it caused wounds. What should she do?

Genital warts are almost always caused by a variant of the HPV virus, however it isn't necessarily the same strain that causes cervical cancer. What strain you end up will determine if you could get genital warts or not. Genital warts are easily treated.