Health experts say an Australian study linking sexual activity to an infection that 1 in 3 U.S. women contract has provided a new tool to prevent recurrences, as well as find a cure.

Bacterial vaginosis is a poorly understood infection that affects one in three women and can bring with it uncomfortable symptoms and, sometimes, long-term health complications. Treatment is often unsuccessful, with 60 percent of B.V. cases recurring within a year, keeping women stuck in a disruptive cycle of going on and off antibiotics.

For decades, bacterial vaginosis has been treated as a women’s health issue—but new research suggests treating male partners could dramatically cut recurrence rates.

We’ve suspected for a long time that it’s a sexually transmitted infection (STI), because it has a similar incubation period (after sex) to most STIs and is associated with