Gardnerella Vaginalis

What is Gardnerella vaginalis?

Gardnerella vaginalis (or G. vaginalis) is a type of bacteria inside your vagina. It’s part of what’s known as your microbiome or vaginal flora. Your vaginal flora contains many kinds of bacteria (and in different amounts) to keep your vagina healthy. The bacteria coexist in a delicate balance.

When your levels of G. vaginalis and other BV-associated bacteria are in balance with the other good bacteria, your vaginal flora prevents you from getting infections. If there’s an imbalance and too much grows, you can get a vaginal infection called bacterial vaginosis (BV). BV isn’t a sexually transmitted infection (STI).

What is the purpose of Gardnerella vaginalis?

The purpose of bacteria in your vagina is to keep it healthy. When you have the right amounts of these bacteria, your vaginal flora is in balance and infection-free. But if this balance is thrown off, bacteria can overgrow and cause an infection like BV.

When scientists first discovered G. vaginalis in 1955, they thought it was a bad bacteria that caused vaginal infections. Research now shows that things aren’t so straightforward. People with vaginal infections have Gardnerella in their vaginas, but people without vaginal infections also have Gardnerella in their vaginas. This means that Gardnerella alone isn’t to blame for vaginal infections. Instead, it mainly depends on its balance with other bacteria like Lactobacillus. There are also several other types of bacteria that live in your vagina in smaller amounts.

We also know that Gardnerella plays a role in maintaining a healthy pH, or a healthy amount of acidity, in your vaginal fluid. A healthy vagina has a pH range of 3.8 to 4.5. The bacteria that make up your vaginal flora work to maintain this level of acidity, which is just the right amount for fighting infection. When the acidity levels drop, too much Gardnerella grows, and that’s when an infection can occur.

Where does Gardnerella vaginalis live in your body?

Gardnerella lives inside your vagina, as one of many microorganisms that are part of your vaginal flora.

What causes Gardnerella vaginalis?

Gardnerella isn’t something that you can catch. Instead, G. vaginalis is a natural part of the environment in your vagina. You can get bacterial vaginosis (BV) if too much grows.

What are signs or symptoms that you have an unhealthy amount of Gardnerella vaginalis?

If too much Gardnerella begins to grow, you may start to notice changes in your vaginal discharge that are signs of BV. The fluid from your vagina may:

• Look off-white, gray or green.
• Smell fishy, and the odor may be especially strong after sex or during your period.

You can have BV without having any symptoms at all.

Is Gardnerella the same as bacterial vaginosis (BV)?

No, but they’re related. Having too much Gardnerella in your vaginal fluid is a sign that you may have BV. You get BV when the balance of bacteria that keeps your vaginal flora healthy becomes disturbed. Most often, it’s when two different kinds of bacteria in your vagina are off balance.

People with BV have too little lactobacilli bacteria in their vaginas and too much Gardnerella bacteria. Lactobacilli bacteria help keep your vagina acidic. Not having enough lactobacilli bacteria causes your vaginal pH to increase to 4.6 or more, so that your vagina isn’t acidic enough.

In this environment, Gardnerella start to multiply, and other bacteria begin to cling to the Gardnerella bacteria and grow, too. When this happens, you get BV. But Gardnerella alone doesn’t cause BV. An imbalance in your vaginal flora causes BV.

Is Gardnerella vaginalis an STI?

No. Gardnerella isn’t a sexually transmitted infection (STI). In fact, sexual activity alone doesn’t seem to cause overgrowths of Gardnerella bacteria or BV. People who aren’t sexually active can have too much Gardnerella bacteria and get BV.

Remember, having G. vaginalis in your vagina doesn’t mean you have an infection. Healthy vaginas have Gardnerella bacteria in them. This isn’t the case with other common STIs, where the presence of the bacteria means that you have an infection.

Just because Gardnerella isn’t an STI-causing bacteria doesn’t mean that sexual activity isn’t a risk factor when it comes to getting BV. It is. The causes of BV are unknown, but you’re more likely to get an infection if you have multiple sexual partners or if you have a new sex partner.

What tests check Gardnerella vaginalis levels?

Your provider can look at your vaginal fluid under a microscope to check for cells that may indicate G. vaginalis is present.

What are treatments for unhealthy amounts of Gardnerella?

If you have unhealthy amounts of G. vaginalis, you could get BV. Untreated BV increases your risk for:

• Pregnancy complications like miscarriage or preterm birth.
• STIs.
• Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).

Your provider may prescribe oral (a pill you swallow) or intravaginal (you place it inside your vagina) antibiotics to return your Gardnerella to healthy levels and treat BV.

What does it mean if you test positive for Gardnerella?

Anyone with a vagina will have Gardnerella in their vagina. Testing positive for it doesn’t mean you have an infection. It only becomes a problem when you have an unhealthy or unbalanced amount in your vagina.

What are some tips to maintain a healthy vaginal flora?

• Don’t douche. Your vagina does a good job of maintaining a healthy amount of bacteria. Douching can create an imbalance among the bacteria in your vagina that can lead to infection.
• Use condoms or dental dams during sex. Having unprotected sex can disrupt your vaginal flora and lead to conditions like BV.
• Limit your number of sex partners. Having multiple sex partners increases the likelihood you’ll get an infection.

Does Gardnerella mean you have HPV?

No. Healthcare researchers are still studying if there’s a definitive connection between HPV (human papillomavirus) infection and Gardnerella.

A note from Cleveland Clinic

Don’t be alarmed if you learn that you have irregular levels of Gardnerella vaginalis bacteria. It’s a common type of bacteria that your vagina is supposed to have in it. If your provider tells you that you have an overgrowth of Gardnerella or that you have bacterial vaginosis, rest assured that the condition is treatable. A course of antibiotics can get your vaginal flora back to healthy levels within about a week.