Chlamydia maybe BV?

[Anchorman1]

On Sept 18 2013 I went to the doctor for testicle swelling. Per the medical report "On examination right testicle and epididymis was thick and swollen. Clinical diagnosis epididymo-orchitis." Said cause was mild UTI. No STD. I was prescribed Ciprobay (500mg), twice a day for 30 days. Due to travel, I hadn't had sex with my wife one month prior to this, and didn't have sex with her until I saw her around October 14. We had unprotected sex from that time until around January 26. On Jan 27 she got results back from a doctors appointment that she had chlamydia. I immediately got tested the next day and came up negative for chlamydia and any other std.
I know this is heard alot, I haven't stepped outside my wife, and Im sure she hasn't. We are both devastated and our marriage is on the rocks. But heres my question:
Ive been reading about BV in women and was wondering:
1. Could her positive for chlamydia have actually been BV.
2. And if so, could the BV been caused by my UTI.
3) Is there anything that can cause false positive?

Other side notes... 1). During that time from August to Oct I masturbated A LOT. 5-6 times a day, most times (and I mean most) I didnt clean. Just wiped with towel. i know i didnt wipe clean because I would masturbate again and some lube or dry stickiness wold be there from previous episodes. I would masturbate even when I know I wasnt "ready" to but did so aggressively anyway. 2) My wife uses a vibrator and its rarely, if ever cleaned. We use it, and just toss it back in the drawer or on top of the side table. sometimes it ends up on the carpet. And 3) with the excitement of seeing my wife I performed oral on her and just for brief moments go from her vagina to anal back to vagina orally. And couple times rub my finger outside her anal area but never inside. Maybe once, but i dont recall during this time period.

Thank you

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to our Forum. I'll try to help.  Epididymo-orchitis can be caused by either the sorts of bacteria that cause urinary tract infections or by STIs such as gonorrhea and chlamydia.  When it is caused by chlamydia, the infection may have been present in asymptomatic form for a long time (months) prior to causing symptoms.    I hope that when you saw your doctor back in September that you were tested for both the STIs and UTI bacteria.  This is important since the medication you received, ciprofloxacin is highly active against UTI bacteria but is not reliable therapy for chlamydia.  If you had chlamydia, then it is understandable that your wife might as well.  As to where the infection came from, that is more difficult to say since chlamydia is most often asymptomatic in both men and women, can persist in an asymptomatic state for long periods of time (months or rarely even years), can be asymptomatically passed back and forth within coupes, and is sometimes (but not reliably) cured by ciprofloxacin.

As for your wife's positive test, if she was tested specifically for chlamydia, unless there was a mess up at the lab, the test is probably correct.  These tests are quite accurate.

In answer to your specific questions:
1. Could her positive for chlamydia have actually been BV.
If the diagnosis was made clinically, without testing, BV or some other process (including normal variation) could be mistaken for the findings of chlamydia but if there was a specific test done, it was probably correct- the tests are quite accurate and false positive tests, while they do occur, are rare.  

2. And if so, could the BV been caused by my UTI.
The bacteria which cause BV rarely cause UTI in male partners.

3) Is there anything that can cause false positive?
See above, false positives are rare and when they occur there are not specific things that have been identified to cause them.

As I consider the entire chain of events you describe my guess is that your epididymitis and your wife's positive test are likely to be related.  Where the infection came from would be difficult to say.  If this is the case, you could have been infected well before you became ill and the infection could have persisted asymptomatically in your wife in the interval.  At this time you need to find out if you were tested for chlamydia at the time of your diagnosis. Further, since you and your wife had unprotected sex after your treatment it would probably be appropriate for you both to be tested and re-treated in case the infection was being passed back and for the between the two of you.  

I hope my comments are helpful.  EWH

[Anchorman1]

Thank you very much for you answers Dr. Very much appreciated.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

As I said earlier, the bacteria which cause BV in women do not typically cause UTIs,, in men or women.

Further, I also pointed out that most chlamydial infections are asymptomatic and that you and your wife may have passed the infection back and forth without knowing it until either you had your epididymitis or she had her positve test.  EWH

[Anchorman1]

Thank you for your response Dr. Hook.

Yes, I was tested for sti's and uti's.

2). This question I was wondering if my UTI could cause BV in my wife?

I don't recall my wife having any symptoms from chlamydia and she only went in to do routine check up. If I gave her chlamydia wouldn't I have gotten re infected considering 3 months of unprotected sex after my diagnosis?  

I spoke with her nurse about a week ago and she did say it can be dormant.