Males Are Not Tested for Bacterial Vaginosis Carrier Status
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is not diagnosed in males, and no swab testing exists to identify male "carriers" of BV. 1
Why Males Are Not Tested
BV is fundamentally a condition of vaginal microbiome disruption, not a sexually transmitted infection with a single causative organism that can colonize males. 1 The key evidence includes:
Treatment of male partners does not prevent BV recurrence in women. The CDC explicitly states that treating male sex partners has not been shown to alter either the clinical course of BV in women during treatment or the relapse/reinfection rate. 1
Male partners are not symptomatic. Because male sex partners of women with BV do not develop symptoms, and partner treatment provides no benefit, preventing transmission to men is not a goal of therapy. 1
BV is not exclusively an STD. While BV is associated with sexual activity and having multiple sex partners, it results from replacement of normal vaginal Lactobacillus species with anaerobic bacteria rather than transmission of a single pathogen. 1
What Can Be Detected in Males (But Doesn't Indicate BV Carrier Status)
Recent research has detected BV-associated bacteria in urine samples from cisgender men who have sex with women:
Prevalence in males: In one study, 21.1% of men had Sneathia spp., 11.4% had BVAB2, and 5.4% had Mageeibacillus indolicus detected in urine. 2
No clinical significance: These bacteria were not associated with non-gonococcal urethritis or any male symptoms. 2
Transient colonization: The bacteria showed variable persistence (median 30-135 days) but no clear clinical implications. 2
Critical Clinical Pitfall
Do not order urethral swabs, urine tests, or any other specimen from male partners to diagnose "BV carrier status"—this concept does not exist in clinical practice. 1 The appropriate approach when a female partner has recurrent BV is to treat the woman according to CDC guidelines with metronidazole, not to test or treat her male partner. 1