What does antibiotics do to a woman's body? Antibiotics and Women’s

Antibiotics are powerful medicines that have killed many diseases, which were terminal a century ago. But today antibiotics are much overused and misused leading to antibiotic resistance and development of other health problems. Women’s intimate health is no exception as overuse of antibiotics often leads to genital infections.


Antibiotics do kill bacteria, but they cannot distinguish good bacteria from bad ones. Therefore they kill all bacteria, including those lactobacilli necessary for normal vaginal flora. This leads to bacterial infections of female sex organs and mycosis.


Lactobacillus helps to produce the acid that repels bad bacteria and yeast species, further protecting women form sexually transmitted diseases and other infections. When the level of lactobacilli is decreased, bad bacteria and fungi can quickly multiply and cause other health problems.


When microflora is affected and microbiological balance is disturbed there appears dysbiosis that manifests as itching and burning sensation in the vagina, vaginal odor and discomfort during intimacy. This, in its turn, may lead to inflammatory conditions, anxiety, low sex drive, bloating and autoimmune disorders. Misdiagnosed or chronic bacterial infection can lead to various complications and even cause infertility.


Of course, there are times when antibiotics are essential, but when they are taken just in case they may actually do more harm than good. For example, when buying prescription drugs online to be taken after sex to prevent sexually transmitted disease or urinary tract infection instead of treating an existing STD or UTI, women actually hurt their vaginal flora. Moreover, if antibiotics are taken when they are not actually needed, they may not work in future and give rise to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. These bacteria are tougher and may cause longer and more serious infections, to treat which you’ll need stronger antibiotics with more potential side effects. Therefore it is better to avoid antibiotics if you don’t absolutely need them.


If you do need antibiotics, take them as prescribed by your doctor. Since antibiotics are a big cause of yeast infection, your doctor will also prescribe you an antifungal medication to prevent unpleasant consequences and will recommend taking probiotics to restore the normal flora after antibiotics use.