Vaginitis in sexually active women: relationship to nine sexually transmitted organisms

Women seen for symptoms suggestive of vulvovaginitis were studied for the detection of Mycoplasma hominis. Ureaplasma urealyticum, yeast, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, Gardnerella vaginalis, herpes simplex virus, group B beta-hemolytic streptococci, aerobes, anaerobes, and Trichomonas vaginalis. Asymptomatic women who reported to be sexually active and agreed to undergo comprehensive genital cultures were used as controls. There was a significant association of vulvovaginitis with the recovery of sexually transmitted organisms. However, all organisms were also recovered from asymptomatic patients. A total of 468 sexually transmitted organisms were recovered from 253 symptomatic patients (1.85 organisms per patient), while 125 were recovered from 130 asymptomatic patients (0.96 organisms per patient). The difference in prevalence between symptomatic and asymptomatic women for Chlamydia trachomatis, group B streptococcus, and the mycoplasmas was not statistically significant. Factors that predispose patients to the manifestations of symptoms are not clearly understood.