Open AccessPersonal Hygienic Behaviors and Bacterial Vaginosis
Author(s) -
Mark A. Klebanoff,
Tonja R. Nansel,
Rebecca M. Brotman,
Jun Zhang,
Kai-Fun Yu,
Jane R. Schwebke,
William Andrews
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
sexually transmitted diseases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.507
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1537-4521
pISSN - 0148-5717
DOI - 10.1097/olq.0b013e3181bc063c
Subject(s) - bacterial vaginosis , medicine , vaginal flora , hygiene , poisson regression , bathing , gynecology , obstetrics , population , environmental health , pathology
Vaginal douching is consistently associated with bacterial vaginosis (BV), but whether it is a cause or result of BV remains unknown. The association between BV and other feminine hygienic behaviors is less studied; if BV symptoms caused behavior change then all hygiene behaviors might be more common among women with BV. Lack of association between nondouching hygiene behavior and BV would argue against reverse causation.