Introduction Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common vaginal infection, characterised by a decrease in Lactobacilli and an increase in anaerobic bacteria mainly Gardnerella vaginalis, a variable Gram coccobacillus that is isolated in up to 98% of cases. The prevalence of this clinical entity is varied and the associated risk factors are: having multiple sexual partners, age, use of contraceptive methods, alcohol consumption, smoking habit, among others. The diagnosis of this clinical entity is important because of the multiple gyneco-obstetric complications associated with this clinical entity like abortion, infertility, ectopic pregnancies and the predisposition to acquire other sexually transmitted diseases such as herpes, HIV, HPV, and others.

Methods A total of 298 samples of vaginal swab from women between the ages of 16 to 65 years. The diagnosis of BV was performed using the Amsel and Nugent criteria, in which we evaluate the vaginal flow, pH, amine test, the presence of clue cells and the quantification of bacterial morphotypes. The culture of Gardnerella vaginalis was performed in Columbia medium enriched with 10% of human blood and a specific supplement for the growth of this bacteria, for its identification we use oxidase, catalase and hippurate hydrolysis. The women who agreed to participate in the study signed an informed consent and the clinical and personal information was obtained through a survey. The results were analysed in the stata V.11 program.

Results We report a prevalence of BV of 10.4% in the population of Chilpancingo Guerrero in Mexico. The risk factors associated with this clinical entity were aged between 32 to 41 years (OR: 4 95% CI=1.2–13.6 p=0.025), having 2 to 3 sexual partners (OR: 3.4 95% CI 1.3–8.9 P=0.012) and smoking habit (OR: 3.4 95% CI 1.1–10.6 p=0.039).

Conclusion The results obtained in this study provided information about the epidemiology of BV, which contributed to the efective detection and treatment of this clinical entity.