BV treatment online
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a common cause of unusual vaginal discharge and is usually easy to treat. If you’ve had BV before and recognise the symptoms, choose prescription antibiotic tablets, gel or cream after a short online consultation, or a lactic acid gel without a prescription, delivered discreetly from our pharmacy in Bury.
BV treatments we offer
| Treatment | Use | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Metronidazole 400mg tabletsPrescription · antibiotic tablets | One tablet twice a day for 7 days | from £12.99 |
| Metronidazole 2g single dosePrescription · antibiotic tablets | 5 tablets taken together, once | from £11.99 |
| Zidoval metronidazole gelPrescription · vaginal gel | One applicator at night for 5 nights | from £16.99 |
| Clindamycin 2% vaginal creamPrescription · vaginal cream | One applicator at night for 7 nights | from £19.99 |
| Balance Activ BV gelNo prescription needed · lactic acid gel | One tube at bedtime for 7 nights | from £9.99 |
| Balance Activ BV pessariesNo prescription needed · lactic acid pessary | One pessary at bedtime for 7 nights | from £10.49 |
| RelactagelNo prescription needed · lactic acid gel | One tube at bedtime for 7 nights | from £9.99 |
| Canesbalance BV gelNo prescription needed · lactic acid gel | One tube at bedtime for 7 nights | from £14.99 |
| Canesbalance BV pessariesNo prescription needed · lactic acid pessary | One pessary at bedtime for 7 nights | from £14.49 |
Prescription medicines are supplied only after a prescriber has reviewed your consultation, and prices include the consultation. Lactic acid gels and pessaries don’t need a prescription. Not sure which you need? Call the pharmacy on 0161 222 1024.
How to get BV treatment online
Choose a treatment
Pick a prescription treatment or a lactic acid gel from the table above.
Online consultation
For prescription treatment, answer a short consultation. A UK prescriber checks your answers and your NHS record or calls you.
Discreet delivery
Your treatment is sent from our pharmacy in Bury in plain packaging.
For prescription treatment we also ask you to confirm your identity online after you order. If treatment isn’t right for you, we explain why and refund you in full.
Delivery: choose standard delivery (£3.99) or Special Delivery (£9.99) at checkout.
See a GP or sexual health clinic instead if:
- it’s the first time you’ve had these symptoms (you need a test to confirm it’s BV)
- you are pregnant, could be pregnant or are breastfeeding
- you have had BV 3 or more times in the last 12 months
- you have pain in your lower tummy or pelvis, a fever, bleeding between periods or after sex, or sores or blisters
- you might have caught a sexually transmitted infection
Our online prescription service is for people aged 18 to 64 who have had BV diagnosed before.
Antibiotics or lactic acid gel: which is right for me?
- Metronidazole tablets: usually the first choice. The 7-day course is taken twice a day. The 2g single dose is quicker to complete but more likely to make you feel sick. Don’t drink alcohol during treatment and for 48 hours after.
- Metronidazole gel (Zidoval) or clindamycin cream: antibiotics you put into the vagina at night, for 5 or 7 nights. Much less of the medicine reaches the rest of your body, so they suit people who get sickness with tablets. Using them during your period isn’t recommended, so tell your prescriber if your period is due.
- Lactic acid gels and pessaries: drug-free products that restore the normal acidic pH of the vagina. They help many people and don’t need a prescription, but they are less effective than antibiotics. In a large UK trial, symptoms cleared in about 47% of people using lactic acid gel, compared with about 70% taking metronidazole tablets.
Prescription BV treatment usually works within a week. If your symptoms haven’t gone a week after finishing treatment, see a GP or sexual health clinic.
Clindamycin cream can weaken latex condoms and diaphragms during treatment and for 72 hours after.
What is bacterial vaginosis?
Bacterial vaginosis is a common cause of unusual vaginal discharge. It happens when the balance of bacteria in the vagina changes and the “good” lactobacilli are outnumbered by other bacteria. BV isn’t usually serious, but it can be unpleasant and it often comes back.
BV symptoms
- an unusual vaginal discharge with a strong fishy smell, especially after sex
- a discharge that is thin and watery and may be greyish-white
About half of people with BV have no symptoms. BV doesn’t usually cause soreness or itching. Bleeding between periods or after sex isn’t a typical BV symptom, so get it checked by a GP or sexual health clinic.
If you have no symptoms, you don’t usually need treatment. The exceptions are pregnancy and some gynaecological procedures, such as a termination, where your GP or clinic may advise treatment.
What causes BV?
The exact cause isn’t fully known, but you are more likely to get BV if you:
- are sexually active, although people who haven’t had sex can get it too
- have had a change of sexual partner
- have a contraceptive coil (IUD)
- use perfumed products in or around the vagina
Is BV an STI, and can men get it?
BV isn’t classed as a sexually transmitted infection, but sex can trigger it or pass it on, and having BV can make it easier to catch an STI. Men don’t get BV, and male partners don’t usually need treatment. If your partner has a vagina, they may also need treatment.
BV or thrush?
| BV | Thrush | |
|---|---|---|
| Discharge | Thin, watery, greyish-white | Thick and white, like cottage cheese |
| Smell | Strong fishy smell, especially after sex | Usually no smell |
| Itching or soreness | Not usually | Usually |
| Cause | Imbalance of bacteria | Yeast (Candida) |
| Treatment | Antibiotics or lactic acid gel | Antifungal pessary, cream or capsule |
BV usually causes a thin, watery, greyish discharge with a fishy smell and doesn’t usually itch. Thrush usually causes itching and soreness, with a thick white discharge that doesn’t smell. Thrush treatments don’t treat BV, and BV treatments don’t treat thrush. It’s possible to have both at once, so if you’re not sure, see a GP or sexual health clinic for a test.
BV in pregnancy
BV causes no problems in most pregnancies, but there is a small chance of complications such as premature birth. If you are pregnant and your discharge changes, speak to your GP or midwife. Our online service isn’t suitable during pregnancy.
How to help stop BV coming back
BV often comes back, usually within a few months. These steps can help:
- wash the genital area with water and plain soap, and have showers instead of baths
- don’t use perfumed soaps, bubble bath, shower gel, vaginal washes, deodorants or douches
- don’t put antiseptic liquids in the bath or use strong detergents on underwear
- don’t smoke
If BV keeps coming back, a GP or sexual health clinic can help you find triggers, such as sex or your period, and may suggest longer treatment.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get BV treatment online?
Can you treat BV over the counter?
Does BV go away on its own?
Can you cure BV in one day?
Can men get BV?
Is BV an STI?
Can you have thrush and BV at the same time?
Why do I keep getting BV?
Get your BV treatment
Choose a treatment from the table, then follow the steps on its page. A UK prescriber reviews every prescription consultation before anything is sent.
Choose your treatmentThis page is general information and does not replace advice from your GP or pharmacist. Sources: NHS bacterial vaginosis page; BASHH UK national guideline for the management of bacterial vaginosis; the VITA trial of metronidazole versus lactic acid gel (NIHR); UK Summaries of Product Characteristics for metronidazole, Zidoval and clindamycin cream.