Variability of bacterial vaginosis over 6- to 12-month intervals.
OBJECTIVE
To examine variability in bacterial vaginosis (BV) over 6- to 12-month intervals.


METHODS
One thousand one hundred ninety-three women were followed for a median of 3 years with serial vaginal swab Gram stains for BV. Discrete time hazard models were fit to identify independent risk factors for BV.


RESULTS
Women with BV at study entry were categorized as having normal flora at the next visit 20% of the time, and women with normal flora at study entry were categorized as having BV at the next visit 20% of the time. Among women with initially normal flora, factors associated with BV were black race, lower education, a history of BV, a history of chlamydial/gonococcal cervicitis, and lack of monogamy.


CONCLUSIONS
About one fifth of women with normal flora develop BV over a given 6- to 12-month interval, and the modifiable risk factors of cervicitis and lack of monogamy contribute to the development of BV.
Ness
Roberta B
RB
University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Public Health, Pennsylvania, 15261, USA. repro@pitt.edu
Kip
Kevin E
KE
Soper
David E
DE
Stamm
Carol A
CA
Rice
Peter
P
Richter
Holly E
HE
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004493:Education / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014626:Vaginal Smears; D016585:Vaginosis, Bacterial / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology