Journal article
Stress, bacterial vaginosis, and the role of immune processes
Current infectious disease reports, v 8(6), pp 459-464
Nov 2006
PMID: 17064639
Abstract
Bacterial vaginosis (BV), the most common lower genital tract infection in women of reproductive age, is associated with adverse gynecologic and reproductive health outcomes. Women at highest risk for BV are young, unmarried, low income, undereducated, and African American. Behaviors such as vaginal douching, numerous sexual partners, frequent sexual intercourse, receptive oral sex, and substance use may contribute to risk, but they account for only a modest proportion of the observed race/ethnicity variance in BV. These subpopulations are also exposed to more social disadvantages or "stressors" such as poverty, poor housing, crime-infested neighborhoods, and discrimination than other groups. Growing physiologic evidence links psychosocial stress to the development of disease. Evidence supports a statistically significant, independent effect of stress on the risk and observed racial/ethnic disparity in the rate of BV. This paper reviews such evidence.
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Details
- Title
- Stress, bacterial vaginosis, and the role of immune processes
- Creators
- Jennifer F Culhane - Drexel UniversityVirginia A RauhRobert L Goldenberg
- Publication Details
- Current infectious disease reports, v 8(6), pp 459-464
- Publisher
- Springer Nature
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-33750889122
- Other Identifier
- 991019339696604721