Nearly 80% of women diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection may also have bacterial vaginosis, according to a recent study.

In the study, published in Sexually Transmitted Infections, researchers assessed a single-swab approach to diagnose concurrent sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and vaginitis, aiming to improve diagnostic efficiency among patients presenting with vaginal symptoms. Utilizing the Becton Dickinson MAX Vaginal Panel and Becton Dickinson Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Trichomonas vaginalis 2 assay, the researchers examined residual vaginal samples from symptomatic women. 

They demonstrated that 79.4% of the STI-positive cases also tested positive for bacterial vaginosis (BV) and 27.0% of them tested positive for vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC). Among these patients, those diagnosed with an STI had a higher risk of concurrent bacterial vaginosis infections (odds ratio [OR] = 2.86, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.99–4.11, P < .0001) compared with STI-negative patients. However, the risk of VVC remained stable regardless of STI status (OR = 0.96, 95% CI = 0.67–1.37, P = .8085). 

The study reported that comprehensive, molecular-based testing identified co-infections among patients with STI and vaginitis symptoms. The researchers suggested that incorporating simultaneous STI and vaginitis testing within clinical practice could support co-infection detection, especially in settings like obstetrics and gynecology and family planning clinics. The single-swab method may streamline clinic workflow by reducing the need for multiple sample collections. 

Full disclosures can be found in the published study.