Urinary tract infection in vaginitis: a condition often overlooked.

Despite the differences between the organisms that cause vaginitis and urinary tract infections (UTI), it is possible that women with vaginitis develop UTI. The main objective of the study was to find the association of the common types of infectious vaginitis with UTI. Cross sectional study was conducted for six months in a referral hospital at Lalitpur, Nepal. Three hundred and sixmid-stream urine samples and high vaginal swabs (HVS) collected from non pregnant women were investigated by standard microbiological techniques. Among the women with bacterial vaginosis (BV), 75% also had UTI. Similarly, 46% and 13% of those with vaginal candidiasis and trichomoniasis respectively had concurrent UTI. Considering this strong association of UTI and vaginitis, women with either of these conditions should be tested for the other.