Risk factors for bacterial vaginosis: results from a cross-sectional study having a sample of 53,652 women

The aim of this study was to estimate the risk factors of bacterial vaginosis (BV) among rural married women of childbearing age in Anhui Province of China. A cross-sectional study was conducted and the method of stratified cluster sampling was used to identify a sample of 53,652 married women aged 18-49 years. All women were asked to complete an interviewer-administered standardized questionnaire, covering sociodemographic characteristics, history of menstruation, marriage and procreation, sexual life, personal hygienic behaviors, and reproductive tract infections (RTIs) knowledge, followed by the gynecological examination and laboratory inspection. A total of 53,286 married women aged 18-49 years were included in this analysis. The prevalence of BV was 11.99 % (6,391/53,286). Risk factors for BV included the minority nationality, women's lower education levels, husband's elder age, over 35 days of menstrual cycle, less than 3 days of menstruation, dysmenorrhea, usage of an intrauterine device (IUD), lack of RTIs knowledge, higher frequency of washing genitals before having sex with husband and changing underwear, lower frequency of sexual intercourse per month, and suffering from other RTIs. The results suggest that BV can be affected by many factors among rural married women of reproductive age, so comprehensive, scheduled programs at healthcare educations should be provided for women in order to prevent BV.