Evaluation of a point-of-care test, BVBlue, and clinical and laboratory criteria for diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis

Abstract

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) remains the most common cause of abnormal vaginal discharge in women of reproductive age and is associated with increased susceptibility to human immunodeficiency virus and sexually transmitted infections and preterm delivery. Present diagnostic methods require access to microscopy and laboratory expertise; however, the majority of women, particularly those in populations with a high prevalence of BV, do not have access to clinical services with on-site microscopy capabilities. We evaluated a point-of-care test for the diagnosis of BV, the BVBlue test, with 288 women attending a sexual health service with symptoms of abnormal vaginal discharge and/or odor. The BVBlue..