Abstract
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common genital infection in women and is associated with an increased risk of sexually transmitted infections and HIV. This study uses a syndemic approach to evaluate factors associated with BV. Non-pregnant, HIV-negative, sexually active, cis-gender women aged 18-45 years living in Miami, Florida were recruited from Nov.2018- Jun.2021. Participants completed a sociodemographic and behavioral questionnaire along with gynecological examinations. BV was diagnosed by Amsel criteria and confirmed by a Nugent score >= 4. A syndemic score was calculated as the sum of factors associated with BV. The association between syndemic score and BV was assessed using logistic regression. Of 166 women included, 60.2% had BV. Race, ethnicity, education, vaginal sex, recent cannabis use, and reasons for intravaginal practices were included in the syndemic score. Higher odds of BV were found in women with a score of >= 3 compared to women with a score of 0/1. A higher syndemic score was associated with increased odds of having BV. Multilevel interventions to decrease BV are needed to decrease women's risk of acquiring HIV.
