VAGINAL MICROBIOLOGICAL FLORA AND SEXUALLY-TRANSMITTED DISEASES IN WOMEN WITH RECURRENT OR CURRENT VULVO-VAGINAL CANDIDIASIS

A history of recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC) was reported by 102 women, while current vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) was diagnosed in 83 of the same 996 women, They had all attended two family plannin g and one youth clinic, respectively. Two women, without RVVC or VVC,m atched for age for each case of RVVC, were selected as a comparison gr oup (COMP). Recurrent, but not current VVC, was associated with a hist ory of sexually transmitted disease, Those with current, but not with recurrent, VVC had significantly more often genital warts and bacteriu ria (> 10(5) bacteria/ml), but significantly less often bacterial vagi nosis than the COMP women, Both VVC and RVVC were inversely correlated to a vaginal nora change with a mixed anaerobic vaginal flora. Those with VVC had a greater number of lactobacilli on vaginal cultures, tha n those with RVVC and the women in the COMP group. VVC and a history o f RVVC both occurred more frequently in women with a lactobacilli-pred ominated vaginal flora, as compared with those with a nora change with a mixture of anaerobic and facultative anaerobic bacteria.