Gardnerellosis is an infectious disease characterized by an imbalance in the vaginal microflora. This disorder is provoked by a sharp increase in the number of bacteria Gardnerella vaginalis .
Gardnerella may also be present in the body of men, but it cannot harm a healthy person, and the pathogen leaves the body on its own after a few days. If a representative of the stronger sex has lowered immunity, the bacteria begins to multiply and provokes inflammation of the urethral mucosa.
Most main way infection in males - sexual relations with a girl who is a carrier of the disease. The infection cannot be transmitted by shaking hands, kissing or visiting a public toilet.
It is worth considering the fact that if healthy person If he does not find signs of gardnerellosis after unprotected sexual intercourse, he may remain a carrier of the disease and subsequently infect a healthy partner.
There are several main factors that can trigger the occurrence of pathology after the pathogen enters the body. Causes of gardnerella in men:
To prevent ureplasma and gardnerella from multiplying in men, you need to carefully monitor your health and change sex partners less often.
The disease in question most often manifests itself 1-2 weeks after entering the man’s body. A little later, the symptoms of Gardnerella in men become subtle and chronic. A man notices green discharge very rarely, since it does not cause discomfort and is very scarce.
If the case is advanced, the person feels a burning sensation or pain when urinating. Such symptoms practically do not bother representatives strong half and may also disappear over time.
Gardnerella vaginalis in men has several specific symptoms:
There are theories that gardnerellosis in men can lead to pyelonephritis, epidermitis or cystitis. But this happens extremely rarely.
No doctor can make a diagnosis solely by visual examination of the patient, because gardnerellosis can be confused with any other genital disease.
In order to identify the disease in question, a person must undergo the following tests: analysis of urine, prostate discharge and semen, and scraping using the PCR method. It is also necessary to:
The diagnosis is made only taking into account the clinical picture and examination results of the patient.
Modern medicine has several methods for treating gardnerellosis. Which one to choose is decided by the attending physician, based on the test results and complaints of the person who applied. The main methods of treating pathology are as follows:
Treatment of Gardnerella is usually carried out only when the disease is also detected in a sexual partner. Here it is appropriate to treat both partners, since the man may be a carrier of the disease in the future.
There are several simple rules, the observance of which will make it possible to prevent the occurrence of the pathology in question and reduce the risk of transmitting it to a sexual partner:
If a man has a severely weakened immune system, this can cause a combined inflammatory process. Here you will have to go complex therapy, which takes much longer than standard scheme treatment and requires full examination body.
Self-treatment of an infection, which is often transmitted through sexual contact, can lead to unpleasant complications: balanoposthitis, ureplasmosis, prostatitis, erectile dysfunction. In what case treatment should be prescribed, only a doctor knows. It is he who should be contacted when the first signs appear pathological process in the human body.
Gardnerellosis is the most common female bacterial disease, caused by the microorganism Gardnarella vaginalis. But despite gender differences, men can also suffer from this infection. Infection occurs sexually through unprotected sexual intercourse, promiscuous sex life and frequent changes of partners. Often the disease is asymptomatic, which makes it difficult to detect and timely prescribe treatment.
Making a diagnosis with the name “gardnerellosis” in men is a mistake, since this pathology develops in women and is a dysbacteriosis of the vaginal environment, and in the stronger sex this disease only causes inflammation of the urethra with specific symptoms.
The cause of pathology in a man is sexual intercourse with a female carrier, without the use of protective equipment.
After contact with an infected woman, when the bacteria enters the man’s body, there may be two scenarios:
With strong immune system, despite the absence of manifestations of the disease, the man becomes a carrier of gardnerellosis.
Medical staff have not established the exact cause of the pathogenicity of Gardnerella and there is an opinion that it is not sufficiently complete to be included in the group of sexually transmitted diseases. Therefore, in order for the infection to become acute, it is necessary that during the period of infection the man has one or more additional predisposing factors:
The incubation period after infection with gardnerellosis lasts from 5 to 10 days, but in some cases it increases to several weeks. In the future, the course may be:
In the case of an asymptomatic course, a man learns about the presence of pathology only when he receives the results laboratory tests made for any other reason.
If the clinical picture is pronounced, then the symptoms of the pathology are similar to the inflammatory process in the urethra. A man complains of discharge from urethra which have a greenish tint. In addition to these discharges, there may also be subjective signs such as discomfort, burning or cutting sensations during urination, but this is observed in cases where the infection affects the anterior parts of the urethra.
To confirm the diagnosis, the doctor prescribes an analysis of the discharge, which will not contain normal cellular parameters, but pathology in the form of an increased content of leukocytes, characteristic of inflammatory processes. Next you need to examine the prostate gland by rectal palpation and ultrasound, microscopic examination prostate secretion.
If a man does not pay attention to the symptoms or does not will undergo diagnostics with the latent course of gardnerellosis, there may be consequences in the form of inflammatory processes in the kidneys and genitourinary system, epididymitis or prostatitis.
If complications occur clinical picture is changing. With pyelonephritis, there is a feeling of aching muscles, headaches, a sharp increase in body temperature to 39 degrees, accompanied by chills and nausea. And with the development of epididymitis, pain appears in the testicle, radiating to the sacrum, lower back, perineum or groin. The scrotum more than doubles in size on the affected side, the skin of the testicle becomes hyperemic, and the skin temperature rises.
The issue of treating gardnerellosis in men is decided strictly individually, since it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of the body and the presence of certain factors predisposing to the disease. But therapy is necessary in all cases and not only for the man, but also for his partner.
In the absence of complications, medical staff prefer the use of topical medicines in combination with immunotherapy. The duration of the course is from two to three weeks. But if the clinical picture is pronounced, doctors additionally prescribe drugs like Doxycycline or Trickside. In connection with the prescription of antibiotics, experts recommend probiotics and prebiotics in the list of prescribed drugs, due to the threat of developing intestinal dysbiosis. And if it is already present, use Bififor, Acipol or Lactobacterin. To strengthen the immune system and restore microflora, Bifilakt, Hilak or special suppositories are prescribed.
During your appointment medicines a man is prohibited from using alcoholic products, smoked and spicy food, stay in direct sunlight for a long time. Doctors stipulate that sexual intercourse during treatment is not prohibited, but only subject to the mandatory use of protective equipment.
All therapy is carried out with control studies of the urogenital microflora to determine its recovery and exclude the occurrence of relapses. Control is usually carried out a week after completion of therapy; for this purpose, prostate secretions, ejaculate and scrapings from the urethra are examined using PCR.
This pathology does not affect the process of conception if the man has no complications, but in the future it will cause risk premature birth or complications during pregnancy. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out timely treatment.
If a man self-medicates, pathologies may develop reproductive system and others negative consequences home therapy, reducing potency and difficult to medicate in the future.
Gardnerellosis vaginalis is an acute inflammatory disease, which is most common in women, but can also develop in men. Gardnerella vaginalis is an opportunistic microorganism. These microorganisms are often found when studying the microflora of the mucous membrane of the genital organs of women, but in some cases they can also be found in men. The development of the disease is observed only in the case of a critical increase in the number of Gardnerella.
For a long time, gardnerella was considered a pathogenic bacterium, but later it was found that these microorganisms are found on the mucous membranes of the genital organs in 25% of women and on the urethral mucosa in 15% of men, but no morbidity occurs. In addition, it was noted that mainly cases of gardnerellosis are observed not in those who are carriers of these opportunistic microorganisms, but in those who were infected through sexual contact.
The body of a healthy man, even after infection with Gardnerella, can control the number of these opportunistic bacteria, so cases of morbidity in men are quite rare.
IN in this case The decisive role is played by the difference in microflora present on the membranes of men and women, that is, in men, gardnerella is often replaced by other types of bacteria living on the mucous membrane. The development of gardnerellosis in men is usually observed against the background of an existing malfunction in the body. There are many predisposing factors that can spur an increase in the number of gardnerella and the development of the disease: 
In rare cases, the cause of the development of gardnerellosis may lie in the use of drugs for intimate hygiene containing antibacterial substances. The thing is that such drugs can disrupt the existing balance of microflora, which in the future can contribute to an increase in the number of opportunistic organisms, including gardnerella.
Symptoms of gardnerellosis in men can be quite varied. It is worth immediately noting that if the course of the disease is unfavorable, gardnerella can cause the development of balanoposthitis, prostatitis, urethritis and vesiculitis.
The most characteristic symptoms of damage to the male genitourinary system by Gardnerella include the following manifestations:
When Gardnerella spreads through the genitourinary system, symptoms of prostatitis and vesiculitis may occur, which can greatly affect men's health. Gardnerella is dangerous because if a man has a weakened immune system, it can lead to the development of very serious complications. To the most dangerous complications Gardnerellosis includes polytrophic abscesses, Reiter's syndrome, sepsis, lung abscess, and so on. In this case, it all depends on how quickly the pathogenic bacterium spreads throughout the body and which organs it affects.
It is impossible to diagnose gardnerellosis only based on the results of an external examination, since this disease has a number of symptoms similar to others. infectious diseases genitourinary system in men. To confirm the diagnosis, a PCR scraping is performed, urine, prostate secretions and ejaculate are examined for the presence of DNA of pathogenic microorganisms.
In most cases, the symptoms of gardnerellosis in men go away on their own, so with this course of the disease, treatment is not required. However, if there is a pronounced inflammatory process and complaints about existing symptoms, doctors prescribe treatment with metronidazole, since Gardnerella vaginalis is resistant to the effects medications containing sulfonamides and tetracyclines. In addition, anti-inflammatory drugs may be prescribed. It is worth noting that gardnerellosis is highly treatable and all symptoms completely disappear after 7 days. Treatment is mandatory, even if the man does not have characteristic symptoms, if the couple is planning a pregnancy. Many doctors recommend including in the course of treatment not only anti-inflammatory and antibacterial drugs, but also vitamin complexes, as well as physical therapy, which are necessary to stimulate the immune system.
Gardnerella vaginalis - the causative agent of Gardnerella under a microscopeNot everyone knows that Gardnerella vaginalis can cause various diseases in men - until now it was considered only the cause of female bacterial vaginosis. However, symptoms of gardnerellosis (often mistakenly written as “gardenellosis”) rarely occur in men, which may require treatment.
In this article, you will learn what gardnerella is ( Latin name- gardnerella vaginalis), what diseases it causes in men, as well as what regimens and drugs are used to treat male gardnerella.
Gardnerella vaginalis is a small bacterium that was discovered in 1955 by the American bacteriologist Herman Gardner. It got its name in honor of the scientist.
Gardnerella should be considered an opportunistic microorganism - that is, one that can live in the human genital tract without creating problems for him. Typically, the growth and activity of Gardnerella is inhibited by human immunity and beneficial microbes that already live in the genitourinary tract. However, if immune defense weakens or “good” microbes die for some reason, then gardnerella begins to multiply intensively and ultimately causes the disease - gardnerellosis.
The term “gardnerellosis” (sometimes the disease is mistakenly called gardenellosis) is still often used as a synonym for the term “bacterial vaginosis.” However, today in official medicine The concept of “gardnerella” does not exist - it has been proven that a number of bacteria are involved in the formation of bacterial vaginosis, and gardnerella is only one of them.
Therefore, the name “gardnerellosis” is used only in unofficial practice to indicate infection with gardnerella or if they mean diseases associated with it. In addition, in old classifications one can find the definition of “gardnerellosis in men” urinary tract”, which is also not used now.
Is Gardnerella transmitted from woman to man? Of course - the same as from man to woman.
Doctors are considering three possible ways transfers microbe:
This is the most likely method of infection, which occurs mainly through unprotected sex. There are studies in which the pathogen was found in the oropharynx and rectum, which presumably may indicate transmission of infection through oral-genital and anal connections.
This is how gardnerella is transmitted from mother to baby during childbirth. The likelihood of this method is very low, and many scientists dispute this method of infection. Gardnerella is very rarely found in girls before menstruation, and cases of infection of boys during childbirth are generally unknown to science.
In rare cases, gardnerella can be transmitted through wet underwear and personal hygiene items. This method also raises doubts and disputes among researchers. However, in medicine there are cases described when gardnerella was found in virgins with bacterial vaginosis, as well as in boys with balanoposthitis (inflammation of the head and foreskin).
It turns out that the most likely way of infection for a man remains traditional sexual contact. Other methods of infection are technically possible, but the risk of catching gardnerella in this way is very low.
Most people associate Gardnerella with women's health, so many people ask: do men even get gardnerella? Yes, this bacterium can also colonize the male body. Let's figure out whether it causes any diseases in such cases.
Most often, the bacterium does not cause any harm to the male body. If women are prone to long-term carriage of Gardnerella, then in men this bacterium, on the contrary, does not stay long - it stays in the male genital organs from several hours to several weeks. But it is important to understand that all this time the man is contagious.
However, in approximately one case out of ten, a man can become a carrier of an asymptomatic infection. Doctors believe that this is influenced by chronic diseases of the genitourinary system - a man with such problems is more likely to become a carrier of gardnerellosis.
An unfavorable situation in the genital tract is also the main cause of diseases that gardnerella causes in men.
More often develop due to gardnerellosis:
Let us remind you that the listed diseases begin quite rarely when infected with Gardnerella. There is an opinion among doctors that gardnerella alone cannot provoke an inflammatory process at all, but does it together with other microbes: Bacteroides spp., Fusobacterium spp. and others. This issue is currently insufficiently studied and requires additional research.
Let's take a closer look at the diseases that can begin in a man due to gardnerellosis.
Inflammation of the glans penis and foreskin is the most common male diseases caused by gardnerella. The symptoms are not characteristic of gardnerellosis. By external signs it is impossible to understand that balanoposthitis began precisely because of this bacterium.
Symptoms of balanoposthitis:
Similar symptoms also occur with balanoposthitis caused by other microbes, including anaerobic balanoposthitis, which is caused by a whole group of microbes. Gardnerella itself is often included in this group, although it can cause this disease on its own.
In almost all cases, balanoposthitis associated with gardnerella goes away on its own without medical help.
non-gonococcal urethritis in men caused by gardnerella
Gardnerella causes urethritis even less frequently than balanoposthitis, and most often these diseases occur together. In this case, a man may be bothered by:
These symptoms also cannot be called characteristic of herdnerellosis. Some scientists even doubt that gardnerella can cause urethritis alone. However, according to Australian experts, gardnerella is the cause of 14% of non-gonococcal urethritis in men.
Prostatitis And cystitis, which are associated with gardnerella, are extremely rare and also do not have characteristic symptoms. The role of gardnerella in their development is considered questionable and requires additional research.
Most likely, the bacterium is involved in the inflammation of these organs in conjunction with other microorganisms, but the extent of its influence is not precisely known.
If a man discovers signs of the inflammation listed above, he should consult a urologist or venereologist.
It is useful to remember that the diseases that gardnerella can cause in men do not have characteristic symptoms. Therefore, it is impossible to make a diagnosis from a photo and an in-person examination, much less prescribe treatment after that. Required for diagnosis additional methods. Let's tell you more about them.
To identify gardnerella, it is enough to take a smear from the man’s urethra, stain it with a Gram stain and examine it under a microscope. The smear clearly identifies the so-called “key cells” - squamous epithelial cells covered with gardnerella.
It is important to remember that gardnerellosis in men often begins against the background of existing problems in the genitourinary system, so it is very important to get tested for other sexually transmitted infections
If Gardnerella vaginalis does not cause any unpleasant symptoms, then there is no need to prescribe any drugs to treat the infection. Even the presence of symptoms in a sexual partner is not an indication for treatment in a man. But if the doctor nevertheless prescribed treatment, then all sexual intercourse should be stopped for this period.
Treatment is certainly necessary if the bacterium causes an inflammatory disease in a man, for example, urethritis. The basis of treatment is antibacterial drugs.
First of all, these are drugs from the imidazole group - metronidazole, tinidazole, ornidazole. Drugs in this group work well against gardnerella, have low toxicity and are relatively inexpensive. In addition, antibiotics have become widespread clindamycin, which has also shown good effectiveness in treating infection.
The cost of a course of treatment with imidazole drugs ranges from 50 to 350 rubles.
No tests are needed to declare the treatment successful. It is enough for the symptoms of inflammation to completely and permanently disappear
Gardnerella is probably one of the most harmless sexually transmitted bacteria for men. In most cases, it remains in the male genital organs for no more than 3-5 days, after which it disappears without leaving a trace. However, sometimes the microbe can still cause inflammation in the genitourinary system. This usually occurs against the background of other diseases that weaken local immunity. Only in this case does the man require treatment - it is carried out with antibiotics of the imidazole group.
Gardnerellosis is a disease caused by Gardnerella vaginalis. In men, the disease occurs quite rarely, but the possibility of infection and the development of a pathological process cannot be completely excluded. In many cases, a man is a carrier of the infection, but does not suffer from any clinical manifestations diseases.
Gardnerellosis - rare disease for the stronger sex, usually a man is the carrier of the infection
Gardnerella vaginalis (Gardnerella vaginalis) is a facultative anaerobe that can exist without oxygen. It is the only representative of the genus of the same name. It was identified and studied in 1980.
Gardnerella is a representative normal microflora genital tract. Normally it exists in the urethra in men and in the vagina in women. In low titer (up to 10 4 CFU/ml) it does not pose a danger to human health, does not lead to the development of disease or unpleasant symptoms. When bacteria multiply, they speak of the development of gardnerellosis.
Gardnerella is a representative of the normal microflora of the genital tract, but with active reproduction, pathology occurs
In case of active spread, gardnerella changes the pH of the genitourinary tract, creating conditions for the proliferation of various pathogenic microorganisms. Quite often combined with other infectious diseases (including STIs).
It is believed that the main route of transmission of Gardnerella vaginalis is sexual, although not all experts agree with this statement. At present, no convincing evidence has been found that gardnerella is actually transmitted by intimacy. If sexual transmission is possible, then the bacteria enter the mucous membranes during unprotected sexual contact. Often, along with gardnerella, others come infectious agents, which causes the development of mixed infection.
Gardnerellosis with clinically significant symptoms in men is extremely rare. In 90% of cases, bacteria do not linger on the urethral mucosa and are washed out of the body with urine flow. Only one in ten men have gardnerella in the genital tract. A man becomes a carrier of the infection and can infect his partner at any time.
The penetration of Gardnerella into the body does not necessarily mean the development of the disease. With intact immunity and normal pH of the mucous membranes, bacteria are not able to actively multiply and remain in low titer. Being a representative of normal microflora, they do not harm the body. Under certain conditions, rapid growth of gardnerella occurs, as a result of which inflammation develops, and all typical symptoms diseases.
In the photo: on the left - normal, on the right - urethra affected by gardnerellosis
Factors contributing to the occurrence of gardnerellosis:
In all these situations there is a decrease in local or general immunity, which leads to disruption of the normal microflora of the genital tract and activation of gardnerella.
In men, bacteria settle in the urethra, leading to the development of urethritis with the corresponding symptoms:
All these symptoms are not specific and occur in various infectious diseases genitourinary area.
Much less often, men develop balanoposthitis - inflammation of the glans and foreskin of the penis. The following symptoms are noted:
In most cases, gardnerella does not linger in male body for a long time, and similar symptoms They last no more than 5-7 days. Mild forms of the disease are prone to self-healing. In the future, a gradual subsidence of the severity of the process and the transition of inflammation to a latent form is possible.
Relapses of gardnerellosis are observed after acute respiratory viral infection, with hypothermia or exposure to other provoking factors. Persistent carriage of Gardnerella indicates the presence chronic urethritis or prostatitis.
The development of complications is observed with a prolonged course of the inflammatory process, the transition of the disease to chronic form, as well as against the background of severe immunodeficiency. Among all complications, the most frequently recorded is chronic prostatitis, but even so, the role of Gardnerella in the formation of this pathology is very doubtful.
Gardnerella is detected by bacterial culture
A targeted search for Gardnerella in men is not carried out. Bacteria are detected during routine examination along with other microorganisms. You can detect gardnerella using. Great value has a determination of bacterial titer, as well as identification of sensitivity to specific drugs.
The diagnostic titer of Gardnerella is 10 4 CFU/ml. Normally, the number of bacteria should not exceed the specified values.
PCR is not used in the diagnosis of gardnerellosis. This method only allows you to determine the presence of gardnerella in the body, but does not provide information on the number of bacteria. Since gardnerella belongs to opportunistic flora, the mere fact of its detection cannot be the basis for making a diagnosis and prescribing therapy.
Accidental detection of gardnerella in tests is not a reason to prescribe therapy. Treatment is carried out only if two conditions are met:
Treatment is carried out when an inflammatory process occurs
The basis of therapy is taking antibacterial drugs. The following drugs are used to treat infection:
A certain effect was noticed when using the antiseptic chlohexidine. The possibility of using tetracycline, erythromycin and some other antibacterial agents is being discussed.
Important point: clindamycin-based cream contains oils that weaken protective properties condoms. This point should be taken into account during possible sexual contact.
Specific prevention of gardnerellosis has not been developed. It is recommended to observe and remember to use condoms. Balanced diet And healthy image life will help strengthen the immune system, which will definitely be beneficial and help prevent the development of the disease.
