What Causes BV?
3. Epidemiology
In the United States, BV is found to occur in 33% of adult women. This translates to an estimated 21 million women with 10 million making office visits for vaginal discharge. It has been observed that there is an increased prevalence of BV among women who smoke, are single, obese, and have a history of induced abortion or pregnancy. Gardnerella vaginalis has also been found in 80% of male sexual partners of women with BV.
There are some studies that have shown that BV is more common among African American women compared to non-Hispanic white women. However, the reason for this is unclear. This infection is predominantly in women and rarely develops in men. In women, it typically occurs in women of reproductive age.
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