Gardnerella vaginalis is highly correlated with bacterial vaginosis. While G. vaginalis doesn’t appear to cause inflammation to cells, it does damage vaginal cells by causing cell death (lysis) within four hours.
Additionally, G. vaginalis develops biofilms, which can make treatment difficult with standard antibiotic treatment.
These essential oils inhibit G. vaginalis, at least in vitro:
- Anethum graveolens (dill)
- Artemisia dracunculus (tarragon)
- Artemisia sieberi (desert wormwood)
- Citrus aurantifolia (Tahitian lime)
- Communis hominis
- Eucalyptus globulus (Tasmanian blue gum)
- Foeniculum vulgare (fennel)
- Lavandula stoechas (French lavender)
- Mentha spicata (spearmint)
- Pelargonium roseum (bourbon geranium)
- Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary)
- Satureja hortensis (summer savoury)
- Zataria multiflora (Shirazi thyme)
| Condition type | Bacteria |
|---|---|
| Affected systems | Reproductive |
| Sexually Transmissible | yes |
| Genitourinary Incidence | very common |
| Age group affected |
Microbial information
| Anaerobe / Aerobe | Facultative anaerobe |
|---|---|
| Gram stain | Gram-variable |
| Best tests to detect |
|
| Pathogen of |
| Commensal of (Can naturally inhabit, but not necessarily as a healthy addition) |
|
| Optimal growth pH |
|
| Conditions correlated with |
|
| Cellular adherence capacities | High |
| Found in healthy vaginas | Possibly |
| Biofilm-forming capacities |
|
| Cellular Morphology |
|
| Microbe Motility | Non-motile |
| Colony Colour |
|
| Substances Produced |
|
| Sexually Transmissible | Yes |
What are the symptoms of Gardnerella vaginalis vulvovaginal infections?
- Discharge
- Fishy Odour The vaginal discharge or region smells like fish
- Grey Discharge Grey coloured discharge
- Homogeneous Discharge The discharge has a uniform and unvarying appearance.
- Odour
- Watery Discharge Has the viscosity/consistency of water
What causes Gardnerella vaginalis vulvovaginal infections?
What are the risk factors associated with Gardnerella vaginalis vulvovaginal infections?
- Gut dysbiosis
- Multiple sexual partners
- Poor diet
- Poor sexual hygiene
- Sexual partners with BV/AV/UTIs in their history
- Unprotected Sex
- Vaginal dysbiosis
How do you diagnose Gardnerella vaginalis vulvovaginal infections?
How do you treat Gardnerella vaginalis vulvovaginal infections?
Treatments for Gardnerella vaginalis vulvovaginal infections are only for practitioners and people who purchased the book Killing BV and Killing BV for men.
Which treatments are likely to be ineffective for Gardnerella vaginalis vulvovaginal infections?
What complications are associated with Gardnerella vaginalis vulvovaginal infections?
References
Gottschick C, Szafranski SP, Kunze B, et al. Screening of Compounds against Gardnerella vaginalis Biofilms. Fredricks DN, ed. PLoS ONE. 2016;11(4):e0154086. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0154086. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4844189/Bayat, M., A. Kousha, A.A. Saraji, R.S.R. Rohani and M. Nissiani, 2008. Study effects of some kinds of standard essences over two microorganisms (Candida albicans and Gardnerella vaginalis) related to leucorrhoea disease as in vitro. World Appl. Sci. J., 5 : 418-421.
