A Cross-Sectional Study on the Relationship of Age, Gestational Age & HIV Infection to Bacterial Vaginosis & Genital Mycoplasma Infection

Pregnant women are especially at risk of developing complications when infected with reproductive tract infections (RTIs). The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of bacterial vaginosis (BV) and genital mycoplasmas in pregnant women and investigate the associations between BV, genital mycoplasmas, HIV infection, age and gestational age.

220 pregnant women older than 18 were included in the study and provided self-collected vaginal swabs.

BV and genital mycoplasma colonisation and/or infection in women of differing age, gestational period and HIV status.

The prevalence of BV was 17.7%, intermediate vaginal flora (IVF) 15%, and the overall prevalence of genital mycoplasmas was 84%. BV was significantly associated with HIV infection with an OR of 2.84. However, BV was inversely associated with gestational age with an OR of 0.08 for second trimester pregnancies and an OR of 0.03 for third trimester pregnancies using the first trimester as reference. IVF was significantly associated with HIV infection with an OR of 2.7 but not with age or gestational age. Genital mycoplasmas were not significantly associated with age, gestational age, HIV status, BV flora or IVF.

The high infection rate of genital mycoplasmas and the association of BV with HIV found in this study reiterate the importance of screening for these RTIs in high-risk groups such as pregnant women.

Table 2

Distribution of BV, IVF and genital mycoplasmas across three age categories in pregnant women attending antenatal care

Reproductive tract infection	Age category
	18–24 years (n=49) (Reference)		25–34 years (n=120)			>35 years (n=51)			Total (n=220)
	Prevalence (%)	OR	Prevalence (%)	OR and 95% CI	p Value	Prevalence (%)	OR and 95% CI	p Value
BV	10 (20.4)	1	20 (16.7)	1.21 (0.42 to 3.48)	0.726	9 (17.6)	1.15 (0.32 to 4.06)	0.831	39
IV flora	6 (12.2)	1	18 (15)	1.25 (0.44 to 3.54)	0.679	9 (17.6)	1.54 (0.47 to 5.15)	0.475	33
M. genitalium	9 (18.4)	1	16 (13.3)	0.78 (0.29 to 2.09)	0.615	8 (15.7)	1.27 (0.41 to 3.93)	0.674	33
M. hominis	26 (53.1)	1	63 (52.5)	0.56 (0.28 to 1.12)	0.102	22 (43.1)	0.69 (0.30 to 1.62)	0.398	111
U. parvum	42 (85.7)	1	81 (67.5)	0.81 (0.38 to 1.73)	0.583	34 (66.7)	1.72 (0.63 to 4.74)	0.291	157

• BV, bacterial vaginosis; IVF, intermediate vaginal flora.

Full article at: http://goo.gl/jmKFdz

By: Redelinghuys MJ1, Ehlers MM2, Dreyer AW3, Lombaard H4, Olorunju SA5, Kock MM2.

• 1Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
• 2Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa Department of Medical Microbiology, Tshwane Academic Division, National Health Laboratory Service, Pretoria, South Africa.
• 3Centre for Tuberculosis, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Johannesburg, South Africa.
• 4Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
• 5Biostatistics Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa.  

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