Combination of leukorrhea and bacterial vaginosis as a predictor of cervical chlamydia trachomatis or neisseria gonorrhoeae infection

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate whether the combination of bacterial vaginosis (BV) and leukorrhea is associated with cervical Chlamydia trachomatis or Neisseria gonorrhoeae.Study Design: We performed a cross-sectional study of 600 nonpregnant patients undergoing a saline wet preparation and testing for C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae. We prospectively collected wet prep findings and extracted demographic and reproductive characteristics from the medical record.Results: Patients were divided into three groups (1) no evidence of BV or leukorrhea; (2) BV or leukorrhea (not both); and (3) evidence of both BV and leukorrhea. The rate of positive testing was 8% in Group 1 (26/315), 11% in Group 2 (23/211), and 29% in Group 3 (14/48, χ2 for linear trend = 12.8, P = 0.0003). Using logistic regression, we noted an odds ratio 3.3 (96% confidence interval 1.6, 6.8) for the combination of BV and leukorrhea.Conclusions: Patients with both BV and leukorrhea had a relatively high prevalence of cervical infection with either C. trachomatis or N. gonorrhoeae. Providers should consider empiric treatment with these patients.