[Vaginal candidiasis: frequency of occurrence and risk factors]

Our purpose was to determine the incidence, risk factors and pregnancy outcome among women with vaginal growth of Candida species.

In the period from January 1, 1994 to December 31, 1997 inoculation results have been assessed of vaginal secretions collected on a standard Sabouraud base and demographic data has been collected of 10,825 pregnant women delivering in single and full-term pregnancy in the Municipal Hospital in Bydgoszcz.

Positive inoculation results for Candida sp. has been noted by 2248 women, which constitutes 20.77% from the delivering women meeting the above mentioned conditions. Properties correlated with positive inoculation results were: living in the country (23.55%), age--below 20 years (24.56%), civil status--widow or divorced (23.88%), vocation (22.66%) or primary education (22.44%), unemployment (22.82%), third or further birth (21.26%) and earlier pregnancy complications (22.46%). An analysis of two simultaneously occurring factors has disclosed a very high percentage of positive inoculation results--in the group of women attending school and residing in the country (37.50%) and women below 20 years of age that have had earlier pregnancy complications (42.31%).