Molecular Diagnosis of Bacterial Vaginosis: Objective Testing Beyond Microscopy
This review surveys molecular diagnostic methods for bacterial vaginosis, the most common cause of vaginal discharge in reproductive-age women. Molecular assays offer objective, quantitative detection of fastidious anaerobes that are missed by traditional methods, and are ideal for self-collected vaginal swabs. The shift toward molecular BV diagnostics exemplifies how PCR-based testing is replacing subjective clinical criteria with standardised laboratory results.
The original study
Molecular Diagnosis of Bacterial Vaginosis: an Update.
- Authors
- Coleman JS, Gaydos CA
- Journal
- Journal of clinical microbiology
- Type
- Journal Article, Review
- PMID
- 29769280
Original abstract
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common cause of vaginal discharge in reproductive-age women. BV has been associated with poor reproductive outcomes such as preterm delivery, the acquisition of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, and pelvic inflammatory disease. BV represents the acquisition of a diverse community of anaerobic and facultative bacteria and a reduction in lactobacilli. It can be diagnosed using several tests ranging from clinical indicators, point-of-care tests, and molecular assays. Molecular technologies are objective, are able to detect fastidious bacteria, enable quantitation, and are ideal for self-collected vaginal swabs. This paper reviews the currently available BV diagnostic tests in the United States.