Demographic, behavioural and gynaecological characteristics from 205 women with normal flora and 205 with BV included in the study
| Subjects characteristics | Normal flora | BV | p Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, median (range), years | 29 (18–50) | 32 (18–52) | 0.64* |
| Race (self-defined), n/total (%) | |||
| White | 110/154 (71.4) | 115/185 (62.2) | |
| Non-white | 44/154 (28.6) | 70/185 (37.8) | 0.07† |
| Marital status, n/total (%) | |||
| Single | 49/181 (27.1) | 68/199 (34.2) | |
| Married | 132/181 (72.9) | 131/199 (65.8) | 0.13† |
| Years at school, median (range) | 11 (1–18) | 9 (1–16) | 0.06* |
| Remunerated activity, n/total (%) | 108/182 (59.3) | 116/195 (59.5) | 0.97† |
| Smoking habit, n/total (%) | 33/185 (17.8) | 56/198 (28.3) | 0.01†‡ |
| Sex partners, prior 12 months, n/total (%) | |||
| 0 or 1 | 169/182 (92.9) | 177/199 (88.9) | |
| 2 or more | 13/182 (7.1) | 22/199 (11.1) | 0.19† |
| Number of vaginal intercourse/week, median (range) | 2 (0–7) | 2 (0–7) | 0.98* |
| Previous BV, n (%) | 35/173 (20.2) | 70/159 (44.0) | <0.0001†‡ |
| Previous STD, n (%) | 25/171 (14.6) | 17/183 (9.3) | 0.12† |
| Consistent condom use, n (%) | 15/164 (9.1) | 25/185 (13.5) | 0.20† |
| Hormonal contraception use, prior 12 months, n/total (%) | 35/164 (26.8) | 43/185 (23.2) | 0.67† |
| Parity, n/total (%) | |||
| 0 | 74/182 (40.7) | 59/198 (29.8) | |
| ≥1 | 108/182 (59.3) | 139/198 (70.2) | 0.003†‡ |
| Vaginal pH, median (range) | 4.4 (4.0–5.0) | 5.0 (4.0–7.0) | <0.0001*‡ |
| Whiff test, n/total (%) | |||
| Positive or doubtful | 20/177 (11.3) | 134/187 (71.7) | |
| Negative | 157/177 (88.7) | 53/187 (28.3) | <0.0001†‡ |
The total of women may vary among the categories as some of the data were unavailable or due to patient's refusal to answer.
*Mann–Whitney non-parametric test.
†χ2 Test.
‡Statistically significant.
BV, bacterial vaginosis; STD, sexually transmitted diseases.