“What you’re dealing with isn’t just BV,” Dr. Hale said softly.
“It’s microbial imbalance - and most doctors overlook it because they’re trained to fight bacteria, not rebuild an ecosystem.”
She pulled her chair closer - the wheels giving that familiar clinic-floor scrape - and lowered her voice.
“Let me show you,” she said, sketching three quick circles on her notepad.
“First, your good Lactobacillus protectors get wiped out after repeated antibiotic use.”
“Second, the opportunistic bacteria - like Atopobium and Mobiluncus - rush in to claim the empty space.”
“Third, your vaginal pH shoots from a healthy 4.0 to a disruptive 6.0 or higher.”
“And fourth - and this is the part no one tells you - the chemical environment becomes hostile. That’s what triggers the odor, discharge, irritation… everything.”
“Hold on,” I said, blinking. “You’re telling me the antibiotics actually make the whole situation worse?”