SEXUAL RISK BEHAVIOR IN WOMEN CARRIERS OF MYCOPLASMA-HOMINIS

Objective To study the sexual behaviour of women harbouring Mycoplasma hominis in the vagina. Setting Two family planning clinics and a yout h clinic for contraceptive advice. Methods The vaginal flora of 996 wo men were investigated microbiologically, including culturing for M. ho minis from the posterior vaginal fornix. Cultures and tests were also made to diagnose genital Chlamydia trachomatis infections, gonorrhoea, genital herpes, cervical human papillomavirus infection, trichomonias is, genital warts and human immunodeficiency virus, The sexual behavio ur of these women was investigated by structured in-depth personal int erviews. Results Of the 996 women, 123 (12.3%) harboured M. hominis in the vagina. The remainder (87.7%), who had a negative M. hominis cult ure, served as a reference group. Those with M. hominis were significa ntly more likely to have had more than 10 partners during their lifeti me, had a greater frequency of more than one sexual partner during the preceding month and the last six months, and reported more frequent e xperience of 'casual sex', including casual 'travel sex'. More of them also had experience of group sex and were more likely to have been se xually abused than the women in the reference group. Fewer women with M. hominis had a current steady partner and were less often cohabiters , but more had had sexual intercourse during the previous week than th ose in the reference group. There was an association between the occur rence of M. hominis and bacterial vaginosis and genital chlamydial inf ection. Adjustment in multifactorial regression analyses therefore cha nged the results only marginally. Conclusions Women with M. hominis ha ve almost the same sexual risk behaviour as women with classic sexuall y transmitted diseases.