Background. Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a major public health problem due to its frequent recurrence, potential for complications, and association with sexually transmitted infections. To date, there is no single point of view on the participation of sexual partners in the occurrence and recurrence of this disease.
Objective. Evaluation of the clinical and laboratory associations in women with recurrent BV (RBV) and their sexual partners.
Methods. From 2010 to 2018, a retrospective cross-sectional study assessed the relationship of microbiota and clinical manifestations in RBV in women and their sexual partners. The study included 164 patients with a mean age of 30.51±6.73 years, among them 82 women with confirmed RBV (28.89±5.89) and 82 of their sexual partners (32.13±7.15). Before inclusion in the study, all patients underwent microscopy of the discharge from the urethra, vagina, cervical canal, PCR (polymerase chain reaction) – examination of the discharge from the urethra and cervical canal for the presence of reproductively significant infections, quantitative assessment of opportunistic microbiota by real-time PCR with a diagnostic system «Femoflor-16».
Results. BV-associated microorganisms (BVAM) Gardnerella vaginalis/Prevotella bivia/Porphyromonas spp. with a high burden for women with RBV were closely associated with the clinical manifestations of both RBV and balanoposthitis in their sexual partners. Urethritis was rare in sexual partners who had and did not have manifestations of balanoposthitis. Coincidences between BVAM for one or more microorganisms within sexual pairs were revealed.
Conclusion. Dysbiotic microbiota in women with RBV is detected in the urethra of sexual partners and can cause balanoposthitis. It is possible that the BV recurrence is associated with the exchange of genital microbiota during unprotected intercourse. It is possible that this fact may play an important role in the pathogenesis of RBV.

Keywords: heterosexual sexual partners, urethral microbiota, vaginal microbiota, recurrent bacterial vaginosis, sexually transmitted infections, biofilms