A RANDOMIZED DOUBLE-BLIND TRIAL OF TINIDAZOLE TREATMENT OF THE SEXUALPARTNERS OF FEMALES WITH BACTERIAL VAGINOSIS

Objective: To determine whether a single oral 2-g dose of tinidazole f or women with clinically diagnosed bacterial vaginosis and their partn ers increases the cure rates as compared with the same treatment for t he female patients alone. Methods: During a 15-month period, 250 women aged 17-40 years who attended a gynecologic outpatient clinic for abn ormal vaginal discharge and/or pruritus vulvae were randomized into tw o groups. They received a single oral dose of 2 g tinidazole while the ir partners received either 2 g tinidazole or placebo. Symptomatic imp rovement and clinical cure rates were assessed at 1 and 4 weeks af ter treatment. Results: There were no statistical differences (P > .05) i n symptomatic improvement, clinical cure rates, or culture results bet ween the groups of women whose partners were treated with either tinid azole or placebo. However, male consorts of women in the tinidazole gr oup experienced side effects more often than those in the placebo grou p (P = .0006). Conclusion: Routine treatment is not recommended for ma le partners of women with bacterial vaginosis.