Sexually-transmitted diseases in women.

Most acute or recurrent genital infections are caused by micro-organisms other than N. gonorrhoeae (Willcox, 1972). Recently, the possible significance of mycoplasmas in genital infections has especially been studied. M. hominis is commonly isolated from patients with cervicitis, vaginitis, or pelvic inflammatory disease (McCormack, Braun, Lee, Klein, and Kass, 1973). Two cases of T-mycoplasmaemia have been reported in pregnant women (Sompolinsky, Solomon, Leiba, Caspi, Lewinsohn, and Almog, 1971; Caspi, Herczeg, Solomon, and Sompolinsky, 1971), and it has been suggested that T-mycoplasmas may be responsible for some cases of spontaneous abortion (Caspi, Solomon, and Sompolinsky, 1972). Group B streptococci in the vagina during pregnancy are considered to be a potential source of neonatal sepsis (Franciosi, Knostman, and Zimmerman, 1973). Trichomonas vaginalis and Candida albicans are generally regarded as vaginal pathogens, as is also Corynebacterium vaginale (Haemophilus vaginalis) (Gardner and Dukes, 1955). Vulvitis and vaginitis are frequently associated with Trichomonas and Candida but not with C. vaginale (Robinson and Mirchandani, 1965). Candida is said to be influenced by the female menstrual and pregnancy cycles (Drake and Maibach, 1973). We here describe a study planned to evaluate the relationship between the cervical microbiology and the presence of symptoms or signs of venereal disease in a series of consecutive patients at the time of their first visit to the clinic.