Prevalence of bacterial vaginosis and vaginal candidiasis in women presenting to healthcare centers of Hamadan City, West of Iran, 2014.

Introduction: Species of Candida, Trichomonas vaginalis and different bacteria such as Gardnerella vaginalis are the most important causes of vaginitis. This study aimed to investigate the frequency of bacterial vaginosis and vaginal candidiasis in women presenting to healthcare centers in Hamadan city, west of Iran. Material and Methods: The cross-sectional study recruited 862 women presenting to healthcare centers of Hamadan. During vaginal examination, the posterior vaginal fornix and vaginal wall were sampled by two sterile cotton swabs. One swab sample was placed in a tube containing Ringer serum for wet mount preparation to search for yeasts, mycelium and clue cells. The other swab sample was used for preparing Gram-stained vaginal smear. Candidiasis was diagnosed by observing pseudohyphae and blastospores. Bacterial agents were diagnosed by observing clue cells, and according to Hay-Ison criteria. The data were analyzed by Chi-square test in SPSS (version 16). Results: Vaginitis caused by bacterial agents and Candida species was identified in 104 (12.1%) and 73 (8.5%) of the 862 participants, respectively. Vaginitis was not significantly related with age, marital status, occupation, husband’s occupation. However, a statistically significant difference was reported between education and bacterial vaginitis (P=0.01). Conclusion: A significant relationship was observed between education and bacterial vaginosis; therefore, enhancing knowledge can play a key role in the prevention of women’s sexually transmitted diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]