Diagnosing Vaginal Infections: It’s Time to Join the 21st Century

Abstract

Vaginal infections are one of the most common reasons for medical healthcare visits in the United States and Western Europe. These diseases are also significantly associated with HIV acquisition in resource-constrained settings throughout the world. However, despite ample opportunity to improve diagnosis, and therefore management, of vaginitis and vaginosis, the healthcare community continues to rely on diagnostic methods with poor performance characteristics. This state of affairs results in part from the lack of a public health mandate to reduce the burden of these infections in women. Without such a mandate, there is a lack of funding for reimbursement for more sensitive and specific diagnostic assays. Sensitive assays do exist for these infections, and their use should be encouraged when appropriate for clinical care.

Chitosan-Based Nanomedicine to Fight Genital Candida Infections: Chitosomes

“…There is an increased susceptibility to other pathogens such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Herpes simplex virus, Neisseria gonorrhoeae , and Chlamydia trachomatis . Among pregnant women, there is a risk of preterm labor and birth and late fetal loss [5,6]. Current treatment regimens for these vaginal infections are considered to be insufficient due to a high degree of recurrence and limited patient compliance.…”

Affirm VPIII microbial identification test can be used to detect gardnerella vaginalis,Candida albicans and trichomonas vaginalis microbial infections in Korean women

“…Bacterial vaginosis is the most common of the three and accounts for 15–50% of all cases of vaginitis. It is characterized by disturbed vaginal microbiota dominated by mixed anaerobes, such as Gardnerella , Prevotella and Atopobium species, with Gardnerella as the major agent . Vulvovaginal candidiasis is caused by Candida species, usually C. albicans, while T. vaginalis is a causative organism of trichomonas vaginitis.…”

Comparison of Nucleic Acid Amplification Assays with BD Affirm VPIII for Diagnosis of Vaginitis in Symptomatic Women

“…aginitis syndrome, typically characterized by pruritus and vaginal discharge, is one of the most common reasons for women to seek medical attention in the developed world, accounting for 5 to 10 million office visits annually in the United States (1,2). The majority of cases are infectious in nature, with over 90% of infectious vulvovaginitis being attributable to bacterial vaginosis (BV), vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC), or trichomonal vaginitis (TV) (3,4).…”

“…The clinically nonspecific nature of the syndrome makes the use of laboratory testing essential for the appropriate management of patients; however, historically, this has largely consisted of only rudimentary point-of-care evaluations (pH testing of discharge, microscopic examination, etc.) with limited diagnostic probity (2).…”