Actinomyces in the female genital tract. A preliminary report

Actinomyces spp were isolated by culture of endocervical specimens from two groups of women attending the department of genitourinary medicine of the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield. The first group consisted of 78 users of intrauterine contraceptive devices (IUCD) of whom 20 (25.6%) were culture positive. The second group contained 63 women using various forms of contraception 12 (19%) of whom were culture positive. None of these 12 women had an IUCD or foreign body in situ. The results suggest that Actinomyces spp may be part of the commensal flora of the genital tract in some women.