TABLE 1.
Demographics of study invitees and clinical characteristics of study participants
| Characteristic | No. (%) in study population (n = 3,009) | No. (%) excluded (n = 1,006) |
|---|---|---|
| Race or ethnicity | ||
| African-American | 2,449 (81.4) | 721 (71.7) |
| Caucasian | 471 (15.7) | 106 (10.5) |
| Latina | 52 (1.7) | 144 (14.3) |
| Other | 35 (1.2) | 7 (0.7) |
| Not known | 2 (0.1) | 28 (2.8) |
| Age (yr)a | ||
| <18 | 0 | 204 (20.3) |
| 18–25 | 1,587 (52.7) | 389 (38.7) |
| 26–35 | 939 (31.3) | 261 (25.9) |
| 36–45 | 405 (13.5) | 108 (10.7) |
| >46 | 78 (2.6) | 19 (1.9) |
| Mean (SD) | 27.1 (7.8) | 25.2 (8.3) |
| Reason for exclusion | ||
| Age, <18 yr | 204 (20.3) | |
| Language | 143 (14.2) | |
| Metronidazole | 80 (8.0) | |
| Refused | 88 (8.7) | |
| Unable to void | 119 (11.8) | |
| Otherb | 372 (37.0) | |
| Reason for visitc | ||
| Symptoms | 1,954 (64.9) | |
| STD screening | 683 (22.7) | |
| STD contact | 377 (12.5) | |
| T. vaginalis contact | 23 (0.8) | |
| Referral | 14 (0.5) | |
| Complaintc | ||
| Discharge | 1,884 (62.8) | |
| Genital itch | 835 (27.8) | |
| Vaginal irritation | 716 (23.9) | |
| Abdominal pain | 706 (23.5) | |
| Dysuria | 462 (15.4) | |
| Genital ulcer | 97 (3.2) | |
| Skin rash | 128 (4.3) | |
| Other | 566 (18.9) | |
| STDs diagnosedd | ||
| C. trachomatis | 226 (10.4) | |
| N. gonorrhoeae | 174 (6.0) | |
| T. vaginalis | 502 (16.7) | |
| Bacterial vaginosise | 1,147 (38.1) | |
| Syphilis | 9 (0.3) |
Twenty-five women for whom age was unknown were excluded.
Other reasons for exclusion were improper specimen collection and scheduling conflicts.
Numbers exceed 100% because some women presented to the clinic for multiple reasons.
C. trachomatis diagnosed by EIA or LCR; N. gonorrhoeae diagnosed by culture; T. vaginalis diagnosed by wet mount microscopy and/or culture; bacterial vaginosis diagnosed by observation of three of the following: white or gray discharge, fishy odor of discharge, two or more clue cells per microscopic field, and vaginal pH of >4.5; syphilis diagnosed clinically, and includes all stages of syphilis as well as cases with stage unknown.
Bacterial vaginosis is included with classical STDs due to its association with certain risk factors and because it is most often diagnosed at STD clinics.