Aetiology of urinary symptoms in sexually active women

Two hundred and fifty six unselected women, 50 of whom had urinary symptoms (frequency of urination or dysuria, or both), and who were attending a department of genitourinary medicine, were investigated. The urinary symptoms were associated both with pyuria and the isolation of undoubted pathogens from midstream urine (MSU) specimens. No associations were found between urinary symptoms and the isolation of Neisseria gonorrhoeae or Chlamydia trachomatis from the urethra or cervix; the recovery of Mycoplasma hominis from the urethra, cervix, or MSU; the recovery of Trichomonas vaginalis or Candida albicans from the vagina; or the presence of bacterial vaginosis. Urethral leucocytosis was associated with the isolation of T vaginalis but not with the recovery of N gonorrhoeae, C trachomatis, C albicans, or urinary pathogens. Pyuria was associated with the isolation of urinary pathogens and with the presence of trichomoniasis; it was not associated with the recovery of C trachomatis or M hominis.