Has anyone bled because of B strep?

[Jmlw1992]

Hi everyone.

I have been bleeding for 11 weeks straight, no breaks.

I am not pregnant and I am not on any type of contraception.

The doctor has told me today that my swab came back showing positive for B Strep

I have searched and searched everywhere to see if bleeding is a common symptom and cannot find an answer anywhere.

Has anyone had this?

Thanks x

[GBSSadmin Partner Volunteer Group B Strep Support]

Hello,

Sorry to hear you are suffering ongoing bleeding.

GBS is a normal bacterium which is carried by 20-40% of UK adults, most commonly in the gut, and for up to 25% of women, in the vagina, usually without symptoms or side-effects. Approximately 1 in 4 women would test positive for GBS if a swab test was done. Carrying group B Streptococcus (GBS) is perfectly normal and natural whether you are pregnant or not. Carrying GBS does not need treatment.

A positive rectal or vaginal swab result for GBS means the person is carries GBS at the time the samples were taken – not that they are ill. (However, GBS found in the urine usually means a GBS infection is present and should be treated at diagnosis with oral antibiotics and the treatment repeated until urine tests come back clear.)

We know of no publication that convincingly demonstrates that GBS carriage causes vaginal symptoms.

If GBS is grown from a swab sample taken from the vagina, this only means that the vagina was colonised with GBS when the swab was taken – it does not mean that GBS is the cause of those symptoms.

It is worth noting that should you get pregnant in the future it would be worth informing your midwife that you have tested positive for GBS in the past. Carrying GBS now does not necessary mean you will in the future, as carriage can come and go. It typically only becomes relevant to test for GBS carriage when a woman is pregnant, due to the risk factor of a Mum carrying GBS in pregnancy and newborns developing a GBS infection. The only way of knowing for sure during pregnancy is to test, and the most accurate means of testing is an ECM test specific for testing for group B Strep. More information on testing can be found here gbss.org.uk/test

Sorry that doesn't help explain the bleeding symptoms you are experiencing. If we can assist any further please do get in touch.