Kate Hackett
Dannie went viral on TikTok for showing how easy it is for men to spread bacterial vaginosis by using a zucchini, water, and ranch dressing for demonstrative purposes.
She explains in the video:
“This is Ashley [the front bowl with water], this is Ashley’s boyfriend Brandon [the zucchini], and this is Britney [back bowl]. … Britney wipes from back to front all the time, so she struggles with bacterial infections [represented by the ranch dressing]. Even though Ashley and Brandon’s relationship is really healthy, Brandon went to the market one day and just couldn’t help himself…”
“So he decided to dip into Britney. Now, Britney is bacteria-filled because she wipes from back to front. He [Brandon] doesn’t know this and he’s enjoying it. In order to get away with this, he can’t tell Ashley. So he comes back home to Ashley like everything is normal and dips back into Ashley. This is what Ashley looks like now [pic on the right].”
“Ashley notices something is wrong, she takes medicine and comes back into the picture, she’s again balanced.”
Then we hit part 2 of the video series…
“Brandon goes back into Ashley, and this is what Ashley looks like — all over again. Now, this keeps happening for months because Brandon never told Ashley about Britney. Ashley continues to go to the doctor, but because this is what her cultures commonly look like, the doctor simply just diagnosed her with chronic BV [bacterial vaginosis]. Now Ashley thinks she has a huge issue with her vajay, when the issue in this entire situation is Brandon.”
BuzzFeed reached out to Dannie and she shared that she decided to share the video because she struggled with BV for years and could not figure out why.
“I began to notice I would only get it after sex with my partner. I had been to so many doctor’s appointments searching for answers, but to no avail. Every doctor told me I was suffering because of my soap and detergent. Finally, I decided to participate in a study for bacterial vaginosis because I thought something was terribly wrong with me.”
A specialist told Dannie that it may be her partner who was passing BV to her.
“The specialist explained that most doctors cannot treat men because they do not know how. There is no way of testing or proper dosage in the ‘doctor rule book’ for treating men. I thought that was such a wild thing because most doctors actually tell you that it’s impossible for men to have it.”
Other websites agree that BV can be transmitted via men through intercourse.
“It’s funny because I’ve struggled with BV for so long, I feel like I have a bacterial vaginosis degree, lol. Once I learned information from the specialist, I knew that treatment was a possibility. She prescribed me meds, and I simply gave them to my partner. I was so shocked because it worked! It was such a simple fix that could’ve saved me years of struggling.”
Dannie gave this advice:
“Protect your pH balance and your mental health. If you feel like something is wrong, don’t be afraid to point it out. Don’t let anyone make you feel crazy or dirty — not even your doctor!
“You do not have to be a rocket scientist to know what’s abnormal for your body. Your body is amazing and it will tell you when something is not right. Pay attention to that feeling!”
“I speak openly so you don’t feel alone. It’s frustrating to deal with, especially when there are no answers. I hope I give women a different perspective and possible remedies. I also want people to know it’s OK to question doctors and educate yourself. Ask your doctor questions! Do not just accept information that is given and assume they know everything.”
