Candida vaginitis: self-reported incidence and associated costs.
OBJECTIVE
Incidence of Candida vaginitis by age and racial or ethnic group is poorly described.


OBJECTIVE
Estimate incidence, cumulative probability of presumed C vaginitis by age, racial or ethnic group, and associated costs.


METHODS
Random digit-dialing survey of 2000 US women.


RESULTS
A total of 6.5 percent (95% CI, 5.4-7.5%) of women older than 18 years reported a least one episode of presumed C vaginitis during the previous 2 months. Women reporting a 1-year period with four or more episodes comprised 8.0% of the sample but accounted for 37.2% of women reporting episodes. Black women reported approximately three times more yeast infections in the previous 2 months (17.4%; 95% CI, 11.2-23.5%) than white women (5.8%; 95% CI, 4.7-6.9%).


CONCLUSIONS
The high incidence and the propensity for recurrence underscore the need for a better understanding of the epidemiology and pathogenesis, and stress the need for the development of more accurate, rapid diagnostics and effective treatments.
Foxman
B
B
Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor 48109-2029, USA. bfoxman@umich.edu
Barlow
R
R
D'Arcy
H
H
Gillespie
B
B
Sobel
J D
JD
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D017677:Age Distribution; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002181:Candidiasis, Vulvovaginal / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008875:Middle Aged; D011336:Probability; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People