VAGINAL FLORA CHANGES ASSOCIATED WITH MYCOPLASMA-HOMINIS

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate any association be tween vaginal carriage of Mycoplasma hominis and genital signs and sym ptoms, other microbial findings, and some risk behavior factors in wom en with and without bacterial vaginosis. STUDY DESIGN: Women who had a ttended two family planning clinics and a youth clinic for contracepti ve advice were divided depending on the result of vaginal culture for Mycoplasma hominis and the occurrence of bacterial vaginosis. The stud y population included 123 (12.3%) women who harbored Mycoplasma homini s. Those 873 (87.7%) with a negative culture for Mycoplasma hominis se rved as a comparison group. In the former group, 50 (40.7%) had bacter ial vaginosis, which was also the case in 81 (9.3%) of the women in th e comparison group. The groups were compared with regard td genital si gns and symptoms, results of vaginal wet smear microscopy and other of fice tests, vaginal flora changes as detected by culture, and other me ans and detection of sexually transmitted diseases. Any history of sex ually transmitted diseases and other genital infections, reproductive history, use of oral contraceptives, and smoking habits were registere d. RESULTS: Women who harbored Mycoplasma hominis had significantly mo re often complained of a fishy odor, had a positive amine test, a vagi nal pH >4.7, and clue cells than did the comparison group; all these s tatements were true before and after bacterial vaginosis had been excl uded. Vaginal discharge was not significantly more often complained of , and a pathologic discharge was not more often detected in the Mycopl asma hominis carriers. Ureaplasma urealyticum occurred in 75% of the M ycoplasma hominis-positive women and in 59% of the comparison group (p = 0.001). The leukocyte/epithelial cell ratio did not differ signific antly from that of the Mycoplasma hominis culture-negative controls. C ONCLUSION: The study suggests that Mycoplasma hominis is associated wi th a number of genital signs and symptoms even after exclusion of bact erial vaginosis.