What is a whiff test? BV diagnostics
While a standard whiff test – using your nose to notice an odour – is achievable by a doctor, there is a special test actually called the whiff test.
The whiff test involves a 10 per cent mixture of potassium hydroxide (KOH) mixed into vaginal secretions that reacts with amines in your fluids and then smells fishy if bacterial vaginosis (BV) (involving certain bacteria) is present.
The whiff test is used as one element to diagnose BV in Amsel’s criteria, along with a vaginal pH of over 4.5 (low acidity), and particular discharge.
This diagnosis is only for symptomatic women; asymptomatic women need swabs taken and may benefit from the Nugent scoring system.
Jessica is a degree-qualified naturopath (BHSc) specialising in vulvovaginal health and disease, based in Melbourne, Australia.
Jessica is the owner and lead naturopath of My Vagina, and is a member of the:
- International Society for the Study of Vulvovaginal Disease (ISSVD)
- International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health (ISSWSH)
- National Vulvodynia Association (NVA) Australia
- New Zealand Vulvovaginal Society (ANZVS)
- Australian Traditional Medicine Society (ATMS)