OBJECTIVE: Bacterial vaginosis is uncommon in women who are virgins. We estimated effects of sexual debut on vaginal bacterial colonization. METHODS: Women who were virgins and aged 18-22 years enrolled in a study of human papillomavirus acquisition were followed every 4 months for up to 2 years. Vaginal swabs from before and after sexual debut or two independent visits for those remaining virgins were tested by quantitative polymerase chain reaction for Lactobacillus crispatus, Lactobacillus jensenii, Lactobacillus iners, Gardnerella vaginalis, and the bacterial vaginosis-associated species Atopobium vaginae, Megasphaera species, Leptotrichia species, Sneathia species, and bacterial vaginosis-associated bacterium-1, -2, and -3. RESULTS: We evaluated 97 women: 71 who became sexually active and 26 who remained virgins. At first sampling, 22 of 26 (85%) women who remained virgins were colonized with Lactobacillus species compared with 22 of 26 (85%) at follow-up (P>.99). G vaginalis was present in 12 of 26 (46%) initially and 11 of 26 (42%) at follow-up (P>.99). Among women who became sexually active, colonization with Lactobacillus species remained stable: 65 of 71 (92%) compared with 66 of 71 (93%) (P>.99), whereas colonization with G vaginalis increased (28 of 71 [39%] compared with 40 of 71 [56%]; P=.02). Among women who did not initiate sexual activity during the study, two of 26 (8%) had any bacterial vaginosis-associated species detected at both the first and second visits (P>.99). Among women who became sexually active during the study, 15 of 71 (21%) were colonized with bacterial vaginosis-associated species initially compared with 13 of 71 (18%) after sexual debut (P=.77). CONCLUSIONS: Among women who were virgins, vaginal colonization with bacterial vaginosis-associated bacterial species is uncommon and does not change after sexual debut.
OBJECTIVE:Bacterial vaginosis is uncommon in women who are virgins. We estimated effects of sexual debut on vaginal bacterial colonization. METHODS:Women who were virgins and aged 18-22 years enrolled in a study of humanpapillomavirus acquisition were followed every 4 months for up to 2 years. Vaginal swabs from before and after sexual debut or two independent visits for those remaining virgins were tested by quantitative polymerase chain reaction for Lactobacillus crispatus, Lactobacillus jensenii, Lactobacillus iners, Gardnerella vaginalis, and the bacterial vaginosis-associated species Atopobium vaginae, Megasphaera species, Leptotrichia species, Sneathia species, and bacterial vaginosis-associatedbacterium-1, -2, and -3. RESULTS: We evaluated 97 women: 71 who became sexually active and 26 who remained virgins. At first sampling, 22 of 26 (85%) women who remained virgins were colonized with Lactobacillus species compared with 22 of 26 (85%) at follow-up (P>.99). G vaginalis was present in 12 of 26 (46%) initially and 11 of 26 (42%) at follow-up (P>.99). Among women who became sexually active, colonization with Lactobacillus species remained stable: 65 of 71 (92%) compared with 66 of 71 (93%) (P>.99), whereas colonization with G vaginalis increased (28 of 71 [39%] compared with 40 of 71 [56%]; P=.02). Among women who did not initiate sexual activity during the study, two of 26 (8%) had any bacterial vaginosis-associated species detected at both the first and second visits (P>.99). Among women who became sexually active during the study, 15 of 71 (21%) were colonized with bacterial vaginosis-associated species initially compared with 13 of 71 (18%) after sexual debut (P=.77). CONCLUSIONS: Among women who were virgins, vaginal colonization with bacterial vaginosis-associated bacterial species is uncommon and does not change after sexual debut.
Authors: Katherine A Fethers; Christopher K Fairley; Jane S Hocking; Lyle C Gurrin; Catriona S Bradshaw Journal: Clin Infect Dis Date: 2008-12-01 Impact factor: 9.079
Authors: Catriona S Bradshaw; Anna N Morton; Jane Hocking; Suzanne M Garland; Margaret B Morris; Lorna M Moss; Leonie B Horvath; Irene Kuzevska; Christopher K Fairley Journal: J Infect Dis Date: 2006-04-26 Impact factor: 5.226
Authors: Katherine A Fethers; Christopher K Fairley; Anna Morton; Jane S Hocking; Carol Hopkins; Lisa J Kennedy; Glenda Fehler; Catriona S Bradshaw Journal: J Infect Dis Date: 2009-12-01 Impact factor: 5.226
Authors: Katherine Fethers; Jimmy Twin; Christopher K Fairley; Freya J I Fowkes; Suzanne M Garland; Glenda Fehler; Anna M Morton; Jane S Hocking; Sepehr N Tabrizi; Catriona S Bradshaw Journal: PLoS One Date: 2012-02-17 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Bernice Huang; Jennifer M Fettweis; J Paul Brooks; Kimberly K Jefferson; Gregory A Buck Journal: Clin Lab Med Date: 2014-09-15 Impact factor: 1.935
Authors: Roberto Romero; Sonia S Hassan; Pawel Gajer; Adi L Tarca; Douglas W Fadrosh; Lorraine Nikita; Marisa Galuppi; Ronald F Lamont; Piya Chaemsaithong; Jezid Miranda; Tinnakorn Chaiworapongsa; Jacques Ravel Journal: Microbiome Date: 2014-02-03 Impact factor: 14.650
Authors: Janneke H H M van de Wijgert; Hanneke Borgdorff; Rita Verhelst; Tania Crucitti; Suzanna Francis; Hans Verstraelen; Vicky Jespers Journal: PLoS One Date: 2014-08-22 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Lenka A Vodstrcil; Jimmy Twin; Suzanne M Garland; Christopher K Fairley; Jane S Hocking; Matthew G Law; Erica L Plummer; Katherine A Fethers; Eric P F Chow; Sepehr N Tabrizi; Catriona S Bradshaw Journal: PLoS One Date: 2017-02-24 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Amanda D Melin; James P Higham; Mareike C Janiak; Michael J Montague; Catalina I Villamil; Michala K Stock; Amber E Trujillo; Allegra N DePasquale; Joseph D Orkin; Samuel E Bauman Surratt; Olga Gonzalez; Michael L Platt; Melween I Martínez; Susan C Antón; Maria Gloria Dominguez-Bello Journal: Microbiome Date: 2021-03-22 Impact factor: 14.650
Authors: Suzanna Carter Francis; Tania Crucitti; Tom Smekens; Christian Holm Hansen; Aura Andreasen; Vicky Jespers; Liselotte Hardy; Julia Irani; John Changalucha; Kathy Baisley; Richard Hayes; Deborah Watson-Jones; Anne Buvé Journal: Front Cell Infect Microbiol Date: 2020-06-25 Impact factor: 5.293
Authors: Antonio Barrientos-Durán; Ana Fuentes-López; Adolfo de Salazar; Julio Plaza-Díaz; Federico García Journal: Nutrients Date: 2020-02-06 Impact factor: 5.717
Authors: Christina Farr Zuend; Laura Noël-Romas; Sarah Hoger; Stuart McCorriser; Garrett Westmacott; Jeanne Marrazzo; Sharon L Hillier; Charlene Dezzutti; Kathleen Squires; Katherine E Bunge; Adam Burgener Journal: AIDS Date: 2021-03-01 Impact factor: 4.632