[Genital mycoplasma colonization in the female genital tract]

Cervical or vaginal specimens obtained from 1,178 females at different physiologic periods of life were cultured for ureaplasma urealyticum and Mycoplasma hominis. Low recovery rates of U. urealyticum were obtained in the neonates (20/72, 27.8%) and puerperal (22/83, 26.5%) and postmenopausal (21/70, 30.0%) women. The highest incidence (114/157, 72.6%) was observed in pregnant women. It is suggested that the colonization of genital mycoplasma is associated with the hormonal status of the women.