Vaginal colonization with Corynebacterium vaginale (Haemophilus vaginalis)

Vaginal cultures for Corynebacterium vaginale and confidential questionnaires were obtained from unselected young women who consulted a gynecologist in a student health service. In all, 466 women were studied, 150 (32.2%) of whom were colonized with C. vaginale. Logit analysis defined four factors that were significantly associated with colonization with C. vaginale: nonwhite race, use of oral contraceptives, no history of marriage, and a history of pregnancy. Sexual experience had little influence on colonization; C. vaginale was isolated from 16 (29%) of 56 sexually inexperienced women and from 40 (41%) of 98 women who had had intercourse with six or more men. After a few patients with trichomoniasis were excluded, there was no association between colonization with C. vaginale and an abnormal vaginal discharge, either as reported by the participant or as noted by the examining physician.