The concept of partner incompatibility has been used in medical practice for quite a long time. But the importance of microflora for healthy sexual relationships and the preservation of the reproductive functions of men and women has become obvious only in recent decades. Dysbiosis in one partner can have a significant impact on both the health and quality of the relationship as a whole.
Before we talk about ways to solve the problem, let us dwell in more detail on the very concept of “microflora incompatibility”, its signs and causes.
What is the incompatibility of microflora
It cannot be denied that each person’s body has certain individual characteristics. Therefore, different microflora in men and women is a natural state. This is due to anatomical and physiological differences.
But talking about the incompatibility of microflora only because of its individuality or uniqueness is not entirely correct. After all, the fact that in order to procreate, men and women must adapt to each other at various levels (physical, biochemical, microbiological) is inherent in them by nature. However, adaptation of partners at the microbiological level is possible only with a healthy microflora of two people. When one of the partners has a disruption in the quantitative or qualitative composition of microorganisms that populate the mucous membranes of the genital organs, the adaptation mechanism itself is disrupted. It is in such cases that we are talking about incompatibility at the microflora level.
Reasons for incompatibility
Mutual adaptation of the microflora of partners can be disrupted due to dysbiosis that has developed in a man or woman. This disorder can occur due to various factors, but the most common of them are the following:
- physiological hormonal changes in a woman (menstruation, pregnancy, menopause) or hormonal imbalances caused by any disease;
- sexually transmitted diseases;
- inflammatory diseases of the genitourinary system;
- a course of treatment with antibacterial drugs completed in the recent past;
- past infectious disease;
- early postpartum period in a woman;
- hygiene of the genital organs using means unsuitable for these purposes and other violations of the rules of intimate care.
Signs of incompatibility of the microflora of partners
Normally, the process of adaptation of partners at the microflora level goes unnoticed and does not take much time; as a rule, this happens after several sexual acts. But if a woman or man has problems with the microflora, adaptation slows down, and partners may experience such unpleasant signs as:
- constantly present irritation in the external genital area (itching, burning, pain, more or less pronounced swelling and redness in the intimate area);
- Uncharacteristic discharge (for example, heavy discharge, with an unpleasant odor, changed color or consistency);
- discomfort in the mucous membrane of the genital organs (constant, during sexual intercourse or only after intimacy);
- a woman’s inability to receive satisfaction from intimacy With a long course of dysbiosis, microtraumas may appear on the mucous membrane of the external genitalia, which become a gateway for pathogenic bacteria. In turn, secondary infections are sometimes accompanied by rashes.
- Without treatment, all of these symptoms can worsen and seriously disrupt the quality of life of men and women and reduce their self-esteem. Thus, what began as incompatibility of microflora can sooner or later provoke psychological disorders and even separation of the couple.
It should be remembered that the exchange of microorganisms occurs with every unprotected sexual contact. Therefore, even those couples whose relationship dates back more than a dozen years can detect symptoms of incompatibility between partners’ microflora.
How to get rid of microflora incompatibility
To normalize and resume the process of adaptation of the microflora of partners, it is first necessary to eliminate the cause of dysbiosis. For this purpose, the couple is prescribed a comprehensive examination, which allows us to identify the source of the problem.
To correct the already impaired quantitative and qualitative composition of the microflora, sexual partners require additional treatment.
If the balance of intimate microflora in women is disturbed, a specialist may prescribe a new generation drug Lactonorm ®. It is designed taking into account the characteristics of the female body and is intended to normalize microflora in a natural way - by colonizing the vaginal mucosa with live lactobacilli. Thanks to the local application of Lactonorm®, beneficial bacteria are delivered directly to the location of the problem, without losing their properties, as happens when lactobacilli pass through the gastrointestinal tract.
Treatment of thrush in women and men should be carried out simultaneously. Otherwise, the disease will return immediately after the therapy, especially if in one of the partners the pathogenic Candida fungus that causes the disease is not destroyed. The difficulty in curing thrush is that most people stop taking the prescribed medications as soon as the symptoms disappear, which is completely wrong. It is necessary to treat thrush with a full course until tests show the absence of the pathogen.
Features of treatment
Thrush is not a sexually transmitted disease. Most people mistakenly attribute it to a disease due to the similarity of the symptomatic picture. Why do you need to treat thrush at the same time? A woman infected with a pathogenic fungus can pass it on to her husband. In representatives of the stronger sex, thrush may not show pronounced symptoms, but the husband can again infect his wife. The rules for treating the disease, regardless of the patient’s gender, are as follows:
- undergo medical tests;
- restore the microclimate and acidity of the mucous membrane;
- normalize the protective functions of the immune system;
- treat concomitant diseases.
During the treatment of thrush, it is necessary to eliminate the factors that provoke the rapid proliferation of the pathogenic fungus - stop taking hormonal drugs and antibiotics, avoid drinking alcoholic beverages, and if possible, you should also stop smoking.
It is strictly forbidden to treat the disease on your own. Even in cases where signs of the disease do not appear for the first time, both partners still need to be tested. It is strictly forbidden to try to remove white plaque from the mucous membranes, as this can injure them and cause infection, and the process itself will be very painful.
Only a doctor can prescribe any drugs for the treatment of Candida fungus; for this, it is necessary to take a test to determine the sensitivity of the pathogen to the drugs.
Drug therapy
Treatment of candidiasis has a special approach and requires proper personal hygiene, since neglect of these factors causes relapse.
Girls who are faced with the problem for the first time prefer to trust friends or advertising, choosing medications for the treatment of thrush on their own. Despite the high effectiveness of most remedies, the disease may soon return again if complex therapy, including taking pills and diet, is not carried out. Only an integrated approach can give a positive result and simultaneous treatment of both partners.
In women, in most cases, topical medications are prescribed to combat candidiasis. Their advantage over other forms of medicines (tablets, capsules) is that they very quickly relieve the symptoms of thrush - itching and burning. But these products (ointments and creams) have a number of significant disadvantages. These medications can only be used outside of menstruation. Treating mucous membranes with ointments or creams is a rather unpleasant procedure that can bring pain and discomfort to a woman.
Another significant disadvantage of topical drugs is that the course of their use is long. Ointments for thrush reduce the protection of condoms. The inconvenience of using creams is that at the temperature of the human body they become liquid and can stain laundry.
For systemic and complex treatment of thrush during joint therapy in a man and a woman, medications for local use are prescribed - capsules and tablets. The main drugs for suppressing pathogenic fungal flora are Diflucan,.
Treatment of thrush in both partners with aggravated symptomatic picture is carried out with antibiotics. These medications are also prescribed when the disease occurs frequently and repeatedly in the wife, which increases the risk of infection for the husband.
Antibiotics are taken for a short course, but only after passing medical tests and permission from the attending physician.
Specifics of treatment in men
Treatment of a partner for thrush is recommended to begin immediately as soon as the diagnosis is confirmed in the spouse, without waiting for the first signs of the disease to appear. A guy whose girlfriend got thrush, not finding any symptoms, will mistakenly believe that he is not infected, and further results will lead to the woman suffering from the disease again and again, despite the therapy.
It should also be carried out comprehensively and prescribed by a doctor. Self-medication can aggravate the situation and lead to unpleasant consequences. Depending on the presence or absence of a symptomatic picture, drugs for internal use and local spectrum agents are prescribed. If signs appear - itching and burning of the penis, discomfort during sex, inflammation of the glans, the following are prescribed:
A man must use medications for the entire course, the duration of which is prescribed by a specialist. Premature interruption of the course of treatment is fraught with relapse, which occurs under the influence of factors such as stress, colds, and poisoning of the body.
What to take, what list of medications (tablets and capsules) will be prescribed depends on the results of tests that will show the extent of the spread of Candida fungus. Oral medications are prescribed equally to both partners - Diflucan, Nizoral, Pimafuncin. Antibiotics are prescribed only as a last resort.
If thrush has been treated, but after sexual intercourse, manifestations of the disease recur, it is necessary to carry out immunostimulating therapy. It is recommended to abstain from intimacy during the therapy period. In order to avoid relapses in a married couple, it is better to begin resuming sexual activity after passing tests confirming the elimination of the pathogenic microorganism.
Do you need to treat thrush? Experts say that it is necessary to start therapy immediately.
In this case, it is necessary to follow a strict diet and carefully monitor the state of your immune system. Thrush is an insidious disease; even with timely treatment, the risk of relapse remains high. A new round of disease can be provoked by: hypothermia, colds, severe stress, banal lack of sleep and overwork.
Along with taking medications aimed at suppressing the pathogenic fungus Candida, it is necessary to take drugs to restore the protective functions of the immune system.
Normalization of the vaginal microflora also plays an important role in effective treatment. Men should use antifungal medications.
Along with drug therapy, it is necessary to adhere to dietary nutrition. The consumption of alcoholic beverages is excluded, flour products, sweets, and dishes with a lot of spices are not recommended.
An important point is maintaining hygiene. It is recommended to disinfect bed linen, toiletries, and bath accessories. If the underwear is made of synthetic material, replace it with cotton so that the body can breathe normally and sweating does not increase. You should stop taking oral contraceptives for a while.
Treatment with folk remedies is allowed only as an additional therapy, exclusively to relieve the symptoms of thrush. You can use any decoctions based on medicinal herbs for oral use, douching and washing only after consultation with your doctor.
Treating your partner right away is the main preventive measure for both men and women. Re-infection with thrush is a common occurrence and can be caused by many factors. Complex treatment allows you to avoid this problem.
Vaginal douching should only be done as prescribed by a doctor. Even the simplest solutions for treating the vaginal mucosa negatively affect its natural microflora, reducing the degree of protection. Careful adherence to intimate hygiene every time after visiting the toilet is the key to avoiding relapse.
Treatment of a sexual partner with thrush is a mandatory measure to prevent the recurrence of the problem.
Bacterial vaginosis is one of the most common vaginal diseases and a common cause of unpleasant odor, vaginal discharge and itching in the intimate area.
Symptoms of bacterial vaginosis
Bacterial vaginosis often causes the following symptoms:
- Unpleasant “fishy” odor from the vagina. The smell may be constant or appear during or after sex.
- , sometimes resembling mucus. Discharge can be heavy or moderate.
- Irritation, itching, discomfort, redness of the skin in intimate areas.
- Pain and cutting during urination.
- Dryness and...
You are more likely to have bacterial vaginosis if:
- Have you recently taken antibiotics?
- You recently changed your sexual partner
- You have had two or more sexual partners in the past few weeks
- Do you have
- Have you recently used a jacuzzi or taken a bath?
- Have you recently douched?
- You don't comply
All of the above factors are not the direct cause of inflammation, but they disrupt the vaginal microflora and predispose to the development of bacterial vaginosis.
When does a smear indicate bacterial vaginosis?
Most women find out that they have bacterial vaginosis precisely by the result. If a woman has bacterial vaginosis, the following changes are detected in the smear:
- many key cells
- many cocco-bacillary forms (bacteria that look like rods and cocci)
- abundant coccal flora
- leukocytes are elevated or within normal limits
- presence of mobiluncus
- The pH of the secretions is above 4.5
Bacterial vaginosis is often combined with other infections, so the smear may contain changes characteristic of other diseases, for example, candidiasis (),.
Gardnerella and bacterial vaginosis
Sometimes bacterial vaginosis is mistakenly called gardnerellosis, since most often it is the bacterium Gardnerella vaginalis that causes inflammation in this disease.
However, gardnerella is often found in the vagina in healthy women who do not have inflammation. That is why, if you have been diagnosed with gardnerella, but there are no signs of inflammation (there are no symptoms of inflammation and the smear result is normal), then there is no question of any bacterial vaginosis, and you are fine.
Why is bacterial vaginosis dangerous?
The bacteria that cause inflammation in bacterial vaginosis are very sensitive to standard antibiotic treatment, and the disease is easily treatable. But if bacterial vaginosis is not treated, it can cause complications:
- - inflammation of the uterus.
- Salpingitis is inflammation of the fallopian tubes.
- Adnexitis is inflammation of the uterine appendages (fallopian tubes and ovaries).
- Infertility.
Bacterial vaginosis during pregnancy can lead to premature birth.
How to treat bacterial vaginosis?
If bacterial vaginosis appears for the first time:
- Metronidazole 500 mg (Trichosept): one tablet 2 times a day for a week, or
- Vaginal gel Metronidazole 0.75% (Rozex): insert one applicator into the vagina before bed for 5 days, or
- Clindamycin vaginal cream 2% (Clindacin): insert one applicator into the vagina before bed for 7 days.
If bacterial vaginosis does not go away with the prescribed treatment, the gynecologist will prescribe an alternative treatment:
- Tinidazole: 2g per day for 2 days, or 1g per day for 5 days, or
- Clindamycin 300 mg: one tablet 2 times a day for a week.
Probiotics in the treatment of bacterial vaginosis
Probiotics are preparations that contain the same beneficial bacteria, which make up the normal microflora of the vagina and help protect against infections.
The following probiotics are used for bacterial vaginosis:
- Gynoflor: vaginal tablets
- Vagilak: tablets for oral administration
The regimen for taking probiotics for bacterial vaginosis is as follows:
- 7 days of daily use
- 7 days break
- 7 days of re-appointment
This regimen of taking probiotics will avoid the return of infection several months after the end of antibacterial treatment. According to the manufacturers, taking these drugs is not prohibited during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Treatment of bacterial vaginosis during pregnancy
Bacterial vaginosis during pregnancy can cause it, so treatment is necessary. It is recommended to take medications prescribed to pregnant women from the second trimester of pregnancy (not earlier than 13 weeks):
- Metronidazole 500 mg: one tablet 2 times a day for 7 days
- Metronidazole 250 mg: one tablet 3 times a day for 7 days
- Clindamycin 300 mg: one tablet 2 times a day for a week
Local treatment (vaginal ointments or creams) helps eliminate the symptoms of bacterial vaginosis, but does not reduce the risk of complications of the disease during pregnancy (premature birth).
Attention: These treatment regimens are indicative and may be changed by your doctor. Before using medications, be sure to consult your gynecologist!
Does my husband (sexual partner) need treatment?
It is known that in 80% of men whose sexual partners suffer from bacterial vaginosis, the main causative agent of this disease is found in the urethra Gardnerella vaginalis and other bacteria. This means that the bacteria "move" from the vagina into the man's urethra during unprotected sex.
And, nevertheless, men should be treated No need. Numerous studies have shown that treatment of sexual partners does not affect the recovery of women and does not reduce the chances of recurrence of the disease.
Treatment for your partner necessary if this is not the first time you have developed bacterial vaginosis, or if you have been diagnosed with sexually transmitted diseases.
Quite often, after a doctor has confirmed a woman’s diagnosis of thrush, the question arises regarding the need and advisability of treating her sexual partner. You should know that thrush is not a sexually transmitted disease. Symptoms of thrush can appear in a woman regardless of the presence or absence of sexual activity. But can men have thrush? And if so, how to treat it?
Experts do not exclude the possibility that a fungus of the genus Candida can be transmitted by a woman to a man during genital contact. In most cases, fungal cells getting on the partner’s penis does not lead to any consequences for the man. Only in some cases is it possible to develop candidal balanitis and/or balanoposthitis. However, in women with a recurrent form of thrush, the partner can be a source of regular reinfection.
There is also a certain risk of spreading infection through oral-genital and genital-anal contact. In the first case, the source of fungal cells can be the oral mucosa, which is very susceptible to fungi Candida and therefore is often their natural reservoir. In the second case, the source of the disease is fungal cells from the intestinal mucosa - rectal ampoules. Thus, a woman can transmit a fungal infection to her sexual partner or become infected from a man.
Treatment for men is provided in the following 4 cases:
- 1 For partners of women with a recurrent form of thrush, that is, if there are 4 or more episodes of exacerbations during the calendar year
- 2 In the presence of clinical symptoms of the disease (curdy coating on the glans penis, itching, burning)