Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40085319›Full record

ArticleThe patient2025

Getting Everyone on Board to Break the Cycle of Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) Recurrence: A Qualitative Study of Partner Treatment for BV.

Alicia J King, Tiffany R Phillips, Erica L Plummer, Natasha Wild, Christopher K Fairley, Eric P F Chow, Lenka A Vodstrcil, Catriona S Bradshaw

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The patient, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Alicia J KingMonash University, School of Translational Medicine, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. alicia.king@unimelb.edu.au.ORCID 0000-0002-9430-9804
Tiffany R PhillipsMonash University, School of Translational Medicine, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-6920-7710
Erica L PlummerMonash University, School of Translational Medicine, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-5710-2671
Natasha WildMonash University, School of Translational Medicine, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.ORCID 0009-0001-5012-5659
Christopher K FairleyMonash University, School of Translational Medicine, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-9081-1664
Eric P F ChowMonash University, School of Translational Medicine, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-1766-0657
Lenka A Vodstrcil *Monash University, School of Translational Medicine, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-3679-9195
Catriona S Bradshaw *Monash University, School of Translational Medicine, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-6643-5678

Funding

National Health and Medical Research Council GNT1172873National Health and Medical Research Council GNT1172900National Health and Medical Research Council GNT1173361
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionBacterial vaginosis (BV) is a common condition that affects the sexual wellbeing of women and other people with a vagina. Recurrence following individual treatment is frequent and exerts a cumulative burden over time. Researchers at the Melbourne Sexual Health Center have recently completed the first successful trial of male partner treatment (MPT) for BV, demonstrating the superior effectiveness of concurrent MPT in reducing recurrence.

methodUsing a case study design, semi-structured interviews with trial participants explored the views and experiences of nine men who had received MPT and nine women whose partners had received MPT. Action and emotion coding were employed to create an explanatory model of experiences of BV recurrence and MPT.

resultsThree key themes within this model related to the cycle of recurrent BV: the physical, psychological, and relationship impacts of BV ("experiencing BV"); the importance of healthcare providers exploring different options and understanding individual context ("seeking care"); and the frustration, cost, and inconvenience of individual treatment ("dealing with it alone"). This cycle was broken by "Getting everyone on board" with MPT. This involved women, men, and healthcare professionals understanding BV and MPT, overcoming barriers to access, and open communication between partners. These factors, in combination, resulted in couples "dealing with BV together", undertaking a week of inconvenience to share the responsibility of preventing recurrence.

conclusionThese findings suggest that the widescale adoption of MPT for BV will require multilevel approaches to address gaps in the awareness of BV with sensitivity to the relational, social, and structural context of delivering care.

Indexed as

Sexual PartnersVaginosis, BacterialAdultFemaleHumansInterviews as TopicMaleMiddle AgedQualitative ResearchRecurrence

Identifiers

PMID40085319
PMCPMC11985585

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.