The International Infections in Pregnancy (IIP) study: variations in the prevalence of bacterial vaginosis and distribution of morphotypes in vaginal smears among pregnant women.
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.
Tolosa
Jorge E
JE
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
Chaithongwongwatthana
Surasith
S
Daly
Sean
S
Maw
Win Win
WW
Gaitán
Hernando
H
Lumbiganon
Pisake
P
Festin
Mario
M
Chipato
Tsungai
T
Sauvarin
Josephine
J
Goldenberg
Robert L
RL
Andrews
William W
WW
Whitney
Cynthia G
CG
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*