Vaginitis - Incidence and Causes
The most common type of Vaginitis is Bacterial Vaginosis (BV). It is mainly caused by Gardnerella vaginalis and Mycoplasma hominis. The exact incidence of this infection is not known as 50% of the women are asymptomatic. However, it is estimated to be around 40 – 50% in women of childbearing age.
The second most common type, the vulvo-vaginal candidiasis (Yeast Infection), accounts for 20-25% of Vaginitis in women and is caused by a fungus called Candida albicans. This is one of the natural inhabitants of the vagina but an overgrowth causes Vaginitis. This has a high incidence of recurrence. It is estimated that about 75% of women develop this infection at some point in their lives and 5% of them have recurrent episodes.
The incidence of Trichomoniasis infection, caused by Trichomoniasis vaginalis, is about 10-15%.
Other causes are
- Postmenopausal Vaginitis - is mainly due to the reduction in estrogens and atrophy of the vaginal mucosa, which makes the vagina prone to infections and irritations.
- Sexually transmitted diseases, like Gonorrhea and Chlamydia.
