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Table 1 Baseline characteristics

From: Intravaginal lactic acid gel versus oral metronidazole for treating women with recurrent bacterial vaginosis: the VITA randomised controlled trial

Characteristic

Oral metronidazole (n = 259)

Intravaginal lactic acid gel (n = 259)

Total (n = 518)

Age at randomisation (years)

 Median [IQR]

27 [23–34]

27 [23–34]

27 [23–34]

Ethnicitya

 White

125 (48%)

126 (49%)

251 (48%)

 Black Caribbean

62 (24%)

57 (22%)

119 (23%)

 Mixed Race

24 (9%)

27 (10%)

51 (10%)

 Black African

26 (10%)

15 (6%)

41 (8%)

 Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi

7 (3%)

9 (3%)

16 (3%)

 Other

15 (6%)

25 (10%)

40 (8%)

Vaginal douching in the past 3 monthsa

 Yes

36 (14%)

25 (10%)

61 (12%)

 No

223 (86%)

233 (90%)

456 (88%)

Frequency of douching per month

 0–2

9 (25%)

6 (24%)

15 (25%)

 3–4

9 (25%)

5 (20%)

14 (23%)

 5–6

1 (3%)

3 (12%)

4 (7%)

 ≥ 7

17 (47%)

11 (44%)

28 (46%)

Current use of oral contraceptive pilla

 Combined oral contraceptive pill

27 (10%)

30 (12%)

57 (11%)

 Progesterone only pill

18 (7%)

14 (5%)

32 (6%)

 Contraceptive pill not currently used

214 (83%)

214 (83%)

428 (83%)

Past history of bacterial vaginosis

 Approximate age when bacterial vaginosis first occurred (years)b

  Median [IQR]

22 [18–27]

22 [19–27]

22 [19–27]

  Min, max

14, 58

11, 50

11, 58

 Number of previous episodes of bacterial vaginosis in the past 12 months

  0

3 (1%)

3 (1%)

6 (1%)

  1–3

157 (61%)

157 (61%)

314 (61%)

  > 3

99 (38%)

99 (38%)

198 (38%)

 Approximate total length of time in past year with bacterial vaginosis symptomsa

  < 2 weeks

56 (22%)

40 (15%)

96 (19%)

  ≥ 2 weeks and < 3 months

135 (52%)

130 (50%)

265 (51%)

  ≥ 3 months

68 (26%)

88 (34%)

156 (30%)

  Missing

0

1 (< 0.5%)

1 (< 0.5%)

 Bacterial vaginosis confirmed at baseline visit (local laboratory)a

  Yes

217 (84%)

219 (85%)

436 (84%)

  No

31 (12%)

29 (11%)

60 (12%)

  Not tested

11 (4%)

10 (4%)

21 (4%)

 Baseline sample Ison-Hay grade for bacterial vaginosis (central lab)c

  0 (no bacteria)

1 (< 0.5%)

1 (< 0.5%)

2 (< 0.5%)

  1 (normal flora)

48 (19%)

62 (24%)

110 (21%)

  2 (intermediate bacterial vaginosis)

62 (24%)

61 (24%)

123 (24%)

  3 (confirmed bacterial vaginosis)

138 (53%)

128 (49%)

266 (51%)

  U (Gram positive cocci)

3 (1%)

1 (< 0.5%)

4 (1%)

  Missing

7 (3%)

6 (2%)

13 (3%)

  1. IQR interquartile range
  2. All data are n (%) or median [IQR]
  3. aMissing data for one participant randomised to Intravaginal lactic acid gel
  4. bMissing data for one participant randomised to Intravaginal lactic acid gel and one participant randomised to oral metroidazole
  5. cGrades 0, 1, 2 and U = negative for bacterial vaginosis, grade 3 = positive for bacterial vaginosis
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BMC Women's Health

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