A study examined the relationship between bacterial vaginosis (BV) and the new acquisition of Mycoplasma genitalium.
The question is, are you more likely to catch M. genitalium if you already have BV? The answer is an unequivocal and emphatic yes.
The study
Researchers took a group of 280 female Kenyan sex workers and regularly tested them for Mycoplasma genitalium, looking at the odds of each of these women catching M. genitalium based on whether they do or do not have BV.
Results
- 54 per cent were HIV positive at the outset
- 16 per cent had M. genitalium infections at the outset
- 40 per cent had BV at the outset
- There were 59 new M. genitalium infections
- Prior BV was associated with a 3.5 x increase in the odds of acquiring an M. genitalium infection
- There is a strong association between BV and M. genitalium infection
References1
- 1.Lokken EM, Balkus JE, Kiarie J, et al. Association of Recent Bacterial Vaginosis With Acquisition of Mycoplasma genitalium. American Journal of Epidemiology. Published online June 8, 2017:194-201. doi:10.1093/aje/kwx043
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Jessica is a degree-qualified naturopath (BHSc) specialising in vulvovaginal health and disease, based in Melbourne, Australia.
Jessica is the owner and lead naturopath of My Vagina, and is a member of the:
- International Society for the Study of Vulvovaginal Disease (ISSVD)
- International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health (ISSWSH)
- National Vulvodynia Association (NVA) Australia
- New Zealand Vulvovaginal Society (ANZVS)
- Australian Traditional Medicine Society (ATMS)