Prevalence of Gardnerella vaginalis, Mycoplasma hominis, and Lactobacillus spp. in Honeymoon-Related Vaginitis: A qPCR-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Document Type : New and original researches in the field of Microbiology.

Authors

Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Al-Qadisiyah, Iraq

Abstract

Background: Vaginitis is a prevalent gynecological condition in sexually active women (14–37 years), with bacterial vaginosis (BV) being the leading cause. Honeymooning women face heightened risks owing to increased sexual activity, vaginal microbiota alterations, and exposure to novel pathogens. Objective: To evaluate the prevalence and impact of BV-associated pathogens (Gardnerella vaginalis, Mycoplasma hominis, and Lactobacillus spp.) on vaginitis in honeymooned women using real-time quantitative PCR (chain). Methodology: This cross-sectional study included 140 symptomatic honeymooned women (aged 14–37 years) recruited from two hospitals in Al-Diwaniyah, Iraq (October 2024–March 2025). Vaginal swabs were collected and analyzed by qPCR targeting species-specific ribosomal RNA genes. Results: G. vaginalis was predominant (57.1%), followed by Lactobacillus spp. (44.3%) and M. hominis (22.9%). Infections peaked in women aged 20–29 years (p = 0.013). M. hominis was more prevalent in women married for ≤3 months (68.8%), while Lactobacillus spp. dominated in those married for >3 months (58.1%; p = 0.048). No significant associations were found with residence (p = 0.738) or vaginitis recurrence (p= 0.746). The bacterial load (copy number) did not differ significantly among the pathogens (p = 0.935). Conclusion: qPCR effectively identified G. vaginalis as the leading pathogen in honeymooned women with vaginitis. Marital duration and age (20–29 years) significantly influenced pathogen prevalence, underscoring behavioral and hormonal factors in BV etiology.

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