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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 09 1997, 2408-2409, Vol 35, No. 9
Copyright © 1997 by the American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Tampon sampling for diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis: a potentially useful way to detect genital infections?

D Wilkinson, N Ndovela, A Kharsany, C Connolly and AW Sturm
Centre for Epidemiological Research in South Africa, Medical Research Council, and Hlabisa Hospital.

Genital tract infections are important causes of ill health in developing countries, but diagnosis is difficult. Bacterial vaginosis (BV) was correctly diagnosed by using a vaginal specimen obtained by tampon sampling in 22 of 24 women (91.6%) for whom BV was diagnosed by Gram staining. The yield for other vaginal infections was higher (28% for Trichomonas vaginalis and 32.7% for Candida albicans) than it was for cervical infections (0% for Neisseria gonorrhoeae and 30% for Chlamydia trachomatis). Tampon sampling was acceptable to patients and may facilitate diagnosis of genital infections in developing countries.