Women's Management of Recurrent Bacterial Vaginosis and Experiences of Clinical Care: A Qualitative Study

被引：39

作者：

Bilardi, Jade ^{[1
,2
,3
]}

Walker, Sandra ^{[1
,2
]}

McNair, Ruth ^{[3
]}

Mooney-Somers, Julie ^{[4
]}

Temple-Smith, Meredith ^{[3
]}

Bellhouse, Clare ^{[1
,2
]}

Fairley, Christopher ^{[1
,2
]}

Chen, Marcus ^{[1
,2
]}

Bradshaw, Catriona ^{[1
,2
,5
]}

机构：

[1] Monash Univ, Cent Clin Sch, Melbourne, Vic 3004, Australia

[2] Alfred Hosp, Melbourne Sexual Hlth Ctr, Melbourne, Vic, Australia

[3] Univ Melbourne, Dept Gen Practice, Melbourne, Vic, Australia

[4] Univ Sydney, Ctr Values Eth & Law Med, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia

[5] Univ Melbourne, Melbourne Sch Populat & Global Hlth, Melbourne, Vic, Australia

来源：

PLOS ONE | 2016年 / 11卷 / 03期

基金：

英国医学研究理事会;

关键词：

OVER-THE-COUNTER; PRETERM DELIVERY; GENITAL-TRACT; PREVALENCE; LESBIANS; INFECTION; BEHAVIORS; SEX;

D O I：

10.1371/journal.pone.0151794

中图分类号：

O [数理科学和化学]; P [天文学、地球科学]; Q [生物科学]; N [自然科学总论];

学科分类号：

07 ; 0710 ; 09 ;

摘要：

Background Few data are available on how women manage recurring bacterial vaginosis (BV) and their experiences of the clinical care of this condition. This study aimed to explore women's recurrent BV management approaches and clinical care experiences, with a view to informing and improving the clinical management of BV. Methods A descriptive, social constructionist approach was chosen as the framework for the study. Thirty-five women of varying sexual orientation who had experienced recurrent BV in the past 5 years took part in semi-structured interviews. Results The majority of women reported frustration and dissatisfaction with current treatment regimens and low levels of satisfaction with the clinical management of BV. Overall, women disliked taking antibiotics regularly, commonly experienced adverse side effects from treatment and felt frustrated at having symptoms recur quite quickly after treatment. Issues in clinical care included inconsistency in advice, misdiagnosis and inappropriate diagnostic approaches and insensitive or dismissive attitudes. Women were more inclined to report positive clinical experiences with sexual health physicians than primary care providers. Women's frustrations led most to try their own self-help remedies and lifestyle modifications in an attempt to treat symptoms and prevent recurrences, including well-known risk practices such as douching. Conclusion In the face of considerable uncertainty about the cause of BV, high rates of recurrence, unacceptable treatment options and often insensitive and inconsistent clinical management, women are trying their own self-help remedies and lifestyle modifications to prevent recurrences, often with little effect. Clinical management of BV could be improved through the use of standardised diagnostic approaches, increased sensitivity and understanding of the impact of BV, and the provision of evidence based advice about known BV related risk factors.

引用

页数：13