Epidemiology of bacterial vaginosis.

Studies of the prevalence of and risk factors for bacterial vaginosis are flawed by imprecision in diagnosis, failure to study large and well-characterized populations, selection bias, and failure to correct for confounding variables. Prevalences range from 5% for women without any symptoms to 25% for those with gynecologic symptoms. Although bacterial vaginosis is associated with nonwhite race and intrauterine contraceptive device use, these may represent surrogate markers for other presently unappreciated risk factors.