Roughly one out of three women ages 14-49 in the United States develop a vaginal bacterial imbalance known as bacterial vaginosis (BV) during their lifetime. BV is characterized by unpleasant odors, and potentially painful side effects, as well as the risk of associated health issues later in life. More than half of the patients who seek medical care do not respond to the first-line treatment, the antibiotic metronidazole, leading to recurrence. Now researchers have developed a simple DNA PCR-based lab test — built on a more detailed genetic analysis of the main group of bacterial organisms that cause the infection — to help clinicians prescribe the right medicine for each patient.
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