Descriptive characteristics of women by fluctuation status of Nugent's Gram's stain score* during 16 weeks of twice-weekly specimen collection, Baltimore, Maryland, USA, 2006–7, n=33†
| Normal persister | Intermediate fluctuation | Fluctuation | |||||
| n | % | n | % | n | % | p Value | |
| Age (years): | 0.23 | ||||||
| 18–29 | 2 | 22.2 | 1 | 20.0 | 3 | 15.8 | |
| 30–39 | 4 | 44.4 | 0 | 0.0 | 10 | 52.6 | |
| 40+ | 3 | 33.3 | 4 | 80.0 | 6 | 31.6 | |
| Ethnicity: | 0.22 | ||||||
| Black | 2 | 22.2 | 2 | 40.0 | 12 | 63.2 | |
| White | 6 | 66.7 | 2 | 40.0 | 6 | 31.6 | |
| Other | 1 | 11.1 | 1 | 20.0 | 1 | 5.3 | |
| Educational attainment: | 0.64 | ||||||
| Less than high school | 2 | 22.2 | 1 | 20.0 | 4 | 21.1 | |
| High school graduate (or GED) | 2 | 22.2 | 1 | 20.0 | 9 | 47.4 | |
| More than high school | 5 | 55.6 | 3 | 60.0 | 6 | 31.6 | |
| Self-reported behavioural factors: | |||||||
| Ever smoked | 4 | 44.4 | 3 | 60.0 | 9 | 47.4 | 1.00 |
| Sexually transmitted infection in 12 months before study entry | 1 | 11.1 | 1 | 20.0 | 1 | 5.3 | |
| Lifetime number of sexual partners:‡ | 0.08 | ||||||
| 1 | 1 | 11.1 | 1 | 20.0 | 1 | 5.6 | |
| 2–5 | 1 | 11.1 | 3 | 60.0 | 8 | 44.4 | |
| 6–10 | 2 | 22.2 | 1 | 20.0 | 7 | 38.9 | |
| 11+ | 5 | 55.6 | 0 | 0.0 | 2 | 11.1 | |
| Primary contraceptive method reported at baseline: | 0.57 | ||||||
| Tubal ligation | 4 | 44.4 | 3 | 60.0 | 8 | 42.1 | |
| Oral contraceptive | 1 | 11.1 | 0 | 0.0 | 4 | 21.1 | |
| Condom | 4 | 44.4 | 1 | 20.0 | 2 | 10.5 | |
| Intrauterine device | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 5.3 | |
| None reported | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 20.0 | 4 | 21.1 | |
| Report of at least 1 day for each time-varying exposure during 16 weeks of observation: | |||||||
| Condom use | 6 | 66.7 | 0 | 0.0 | 8 | 40.0 | 0.05 |
| Digital penetration | 5 | 55.6 | 1 | 20.0 | 10 | 50.0 | 0.50 |
| Insertive sex toy | 2 | 22.2 | 2 | 40.0 | 9 | 45.0 | 0.55 |
| Menses | 9 | 100.0 | 5 | 100.0 | 20 | 100.0 | – |
| Receptive oral sex | 5 | 55.6 | 3 | 60.0 | 12 | 60.0 | 1.00 |
| Rectal sex | 2 | 22.2 | 1 | 20.0 | 5 | 25.0 | 1.00 |
| Thong undergarment | 4 | 44.4 | 2 | 40.0 | 5 | 25.0 | 0.51 |
| Vaginal douching | 9 | 100.0 | 5 | 100.0 | 20 | 100.0 | – |
| Vaginal intercourse | 8 | 88.9 | 4 | 80.0 | 17 | 85.0 | 1.00 |
| Vaginal lubricant | 1 | 11.1 | 2 | 40.0 | 7 | 35.0 | 0.49 |
↵* Women were categorised to fluctuation status based on Nugent's Gram's stain score of twice-weekly collected vaginal smears over 16 weeks of study observation. Nugent's scores reflect the range of vaginal microbiota morphotypes which are characteristic of BV. A score of 0–3 is considered normal, 4–6 is designated intermediate state and 7–10 is BV. In the table, fluctuation is defined by at least one incident transition from normal microbiota to BV. Intermediate fluctuation is an individual who fluctuated from normal to an intermediate state but did not reach BV. Normal persister is an indiviudal who persisted with normal Nugent scores for the duration of the study. The women in the Fluctuation column are those who were included in the crossover analysis.
↵† Although 39 women initiated the study, 33 women completed the full 16 weeks of twice-weekly sampling. Reflected in this table are only the 33 women who completed the study so that we may have complete observation periods in order to properly classify participants by vaginal microbiota fluctuation status.
↵‡ One woman refused report of lifetime number of sexual partners.
GED, general education degree.