TABLE 2.
Factors that influence S. aureus tampon colonization
| Characteristic | Value for healthy women volunteersa
|
P | |
|---|---|---|---|
| S. aureus positive (n = 205) | S. aureus negative (n = 532) | ||
| Median age, yrs (IQR) | 31 (12) | 32 (11) | 0.1 |
| Tampon carrying time, median (IQR) | 4 h 0 min (2 h 50 min) | 4 h 20 min (3 h 0 min) | 0.3 |
| Tampon brands | |||
| Tampax | 79/309 (26) | 230/309 (74) | 0.6 |
| Nett | 59/197 (28) | 138/197 (72) | |
| Otherb | 60/216 (28) | 156/216 (72) | |
| Tampon with applicator | 90/164 (55) | 291/450 (65) | 0.031 |
| Absorbencies | 0.96 | ||
| 1 and 2 droplets | 33/157 (21) | 128/426 (30) | |
| 3 and 4 droplets | 106/157 (68) | 256/426 (60) | |
| 5 and 6 droplets | 18/157 (11) | 42/426 (10) | |
| Antibiotics within the last 15 days | 7/197 (4) | 38/529 (7) | 0.08 |
| Contraception | |||
| None | 78/327 (24) | 249/327 (76) | 0.07 |
| Estroprogestative pills | 67/196 (34) | 176/527 (33) | 0.9 |
| Intrauterine devices | 53/198 (28) | 102/529 (19) | 0.033 |
| Sexual intercourse within the last 5 days | 62/194 (32) | 150/524 (29) | 0.4 |
a
Data are given as no./total (percent) unless otherwise noted.
b
Brands of tampon other than Tampax and Nett were clustered into one group for the statistical analysis.