Symptoms and signs in single and mixed genital infections

Objective: To compare symptoms and signs in women with single and mixed gen ital infections. Methods: The study population comprised 996 apparently hea lthy women. Gynecological symptoms and signs were looked for and diagnostic s for the most prevalent gynecological infections were made. Results: When co-infections were excluded, chlamydial infections, bacterial vaginosis and cervical human papillomavirus infections were associated with a fishy malo dor; for the two former conditions an easily bleeding ectopy was also found . Vaginal candidosis showed characteristic symptoms and signs. Genital wart s were associated with dysuria, general and lower abdominal pain. Out of 49 4 women with a genital infection, 112 (22.7%) had a mixed infection, which in some cases influenced symptoms and signs. Conclusion: Many women who con sider themselves gynecologically healthy, may nevertheless harbor one or mo re infectious agents. The need to exclude multiple infections is obvious. P ositive predictive values were for specific symptoms and signs were general ly low. (C) 1998 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.