Bacterial vaginosis is a serious infection that occurs due to the imbalance of vagina’s natural bacteria. It is important to treat the infection on time to avoid aggravating the symptoms further and avoid any risks of transmitting sexually transmitted diseases due to the infection. Once you decide to find treatment for the infection, you would come across various tests that require to be conducted for analyzing whether or not you have Bacterial vaginosis.
There are several tests that require to be taken in order to find out the presence of Bacterial vaginosis infection. These include taking samples of cells and fluids from the vagina to determine the presence of this vaginal infection.
Tests used to find bacterial vaginosis:
- Whiff test: Potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution drops are added vaginal discharge sample to determine the production of a strong fishy odor.
- Wet mount: Vaginal discharge sample is mixed with salt solution on a microscope slide. This slide is analyzed for bacteria, clue cells and white blood cells. Presence of clue cells indicates the presence of bacterial vaginosis.
Gram stain: Vaginal discharge sample is placed on a microscope slide. The slide is stained using dye. This results in some types of bacteria to turn to a purple hue while others such as Gram-negative bacteria turn pink (in case of Bacterial vaginosis).
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