title: The International Infections in Pregnancy (IIP) study: variations in the prevalence of bacterial vaginosis and distribution of morphotypes in vaginal smears among pregnant women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of bacterial vaginosis and the distribution of associated morphotypes among asymptomatic pregnant women in different countries.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 8 institutions participating in the Global Network for Perinatal and Reproductive Health (www.gnprh.org) from July 1999 to September 2001, 1466 women were enrolled. Vaginal smears were Gram stained and scored with Nugent's method at a reference laboratory. The prevalence of bacterial vaginosis and bacterial morphotype distributions were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 12.3% of women had bacterial vaginosis according to Nugent's criteria. Zimbabwe had the highest prevalence (24.4%) when compared with all other sites, except Myanmar (P < .05). Among bacterial vaginosis cases, 98.9% of vaginal smears had more than 30 Gardnerella/Bacteroides morphotypes present per oil immersion field. Individual centers showed significant differences in the number of Mobiluncus and lactobacillus morphotypes (P < .01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of bacterial vaginosis and distribution of bacterial morphotypes in vaginal smears among asymptomatic pregnant women vary significantly in populations from different countries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University for The Global Network for Perinatal and Reproductive Health, Philadelphia, PA, USA. tolosaj@ohsu.edu
authors.forename: Jorge E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Tolosa
authors.forename: Surasith
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chaithongwongwatthana
authors.forename: Sean
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Daly
authors.forename: Win Win
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Maw
authors.forename: Hernando
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gaitán
authors.forename: Pisake
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lumbiganon
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Festin
authors.forename: Tsungai
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chipato
authors.forename: Josephine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sauvarin
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Goldenberg
authors.forename: William W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Andrews
authors.forename: Cynthia G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Whitney
mesh_terms: D000193:Actinomycetales Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000328:Adult; D001442:Bacteroides Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006194:Gardnerella vaginalis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D038622:Internationality; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017904:Mobiluncus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D014626:Vaginal Smears; D016585:Vaginosis, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*