The influence of behaviors and relationships on the vaginal microbiota of women and their female partners: The WOW health study

CS Bradshaw; SM Walker; LA Vodstrcil; JE Bilardi; M Law; JS Hocking; KA Fethers; G Fehler; S Petersen; SN Tabrizi; MY Chen; SM Garland; CK Fairley

Journal article

The influence of behaviors and relationships on the vaginal microbiota of women and their female partners: The WOW health study

CS Bradshaw, SM Walker, LA Vodstrcil, JE Bilardi, M Law, JS Hocking, KA Fethers, G Fehler, S Petersen, SN Tabrizi, MY Chen, SM Garland, CK Fairley

Journal of Infectious Diseases | Published : 2014

DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jit664

Abstract

A community-based study of women who have sex with women (WSW) was performed to determine the burden of bacterial vaginosis (BV), and behavioral factors influencing the vaginal microbiota of women and their female sexual partners (FSPs), as measured by Nugent score (NS). Methods. In a cross-sectional study of 18-55-year-old WSWrecruited nationally, participants completed questionnaires and self-collected vaginal swab samples weekly on 3 occasions. BV was defined as an NS of 7-10. Factors associated with BV, stability of NS category, and concordance of these categories in coenrolled couples were examined with multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results. A total of 458 participants wer..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Catriona Bradshaw Author

Lenka Vodstrcil Author

Jade Bilardi Author

Jane Hocking Author

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Grants

Awarded by Gay and Lesbian Medical Association

Funding Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (program grant APP57431, project grant APP1020457 to L. A. V., and Early Careers Development fellowship grants ERC1013135 to J. E. B. and APP566576 to J. S. H.).This work was also supported by a 2007 Lesbian Health Research Grant from the Australian Lesbian Medical Association and the AIDS Council of New SouthWales.