Elsevier

The Journal of Pediatrics

Volume 107, Issue 6, December 1985, Pages 974-981
The Journal of Pediatrics

Microbiology of the lower genital tract in postmenarchal adolescent girls: Differences by sexual activity, contraception, and presence of nonspecific vaginitis

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3476(85)80208-0Get rights and content

The prevalence of selected microorganisms in the lower genital tract in postmenarchal adolescent grils was assessed, including vaginal Gardnerella vaginalis, group B streptococcus, lactobacillus, Mycoplasma species, Ureaplasma urealyticum, Staphylococcus aureus, and yeast, and endocervical Mycoplasma species, U. urealyticum, Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Trichomonas vaginalis. Specific attention was focused on important sexually transmitted disease organisms, and differences in isolations by age, sexual activity, ethnicity, contraception, and the diagnosis of nonspecific vaginitis were measured. Sexually active subjects had a mean of 6.05 organisms (SD=3.16), compared with 3.12 organisms (SD=3.92) in non-sexually active subjects (P=0.001). Sexually active subjects had significantly more vaginal G. vaginalis, lactobacilli, Mycoplasma species, and U. urealyticum, as well as endocervical Mycoplasma species and U. urealyticum, compared with non-sexually active subjects; C. trachomatis, N. gonorrhoea, and T. vaginalis were isolated exclusively from the sexually active group. Significant differences in isolation rates by ethnicity were found in vaginal Mycoplasma species and U. urealyticum, and endocervical Mycoplasma species, U. urealyticum, C. trachomatis, N. gonorrhoeae, and T. vaginalis. In general, organisms were isolated from blacks most frequently; N. gonorrhoea was isolated from blacks exclusively. Differences were found in microbiologic isolations by the presence or absence of nonspecific vaginitis. Vaginal G. vaginalis and Mycoplasma species and endocervical Mycoplasma species and U. urealyticum were found significantly more often in isolates from the group with nonspecific vaginitis. It is important to define the microbial flora of the lower genital tract in adolescent girls in order to understand its role in the pathogenesis of acute salpingitis.

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  • Cited by (0)

    Supported in part by MCH Grant 000978; Academic Senate Committee on Research, Affirmative Action Career Development Awards; and the Research Evaluation and Allocation Committee Award, University of California School of Medicine. Dr. Sweet and Dr. Schachter supported in part by Grants EY 02216 and AI 16631 from the National Institutes of Health.

    Submitted for publication Feb. 26, 1985; accepted May 13, 1985.

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