Journal article

The Influence of Behaviors and Relationships on the Vaginal Microbiota of Women and Their Female Partners: The WOW Health Study

Catriona S Bradshaw, Sandra M Walker, Lenka A Vodstrcil, Jade E Bilardi, Matthew Law, Jane S Hocking, Katherine A Fethers, Glenda Fehler, Susan Petersen, Sepehr N Tabrizi, Marcus Y Chen, Suzanne M Garland, Christopher K Fairley

JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES | OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC | Published : 2014

Abstract

BACKGROUND: 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 WSW recruited 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 co-enrolled couples were examined with multivariable logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 458 pa..

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