ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND To paraphrase the title of Shakespeare’s play, Much Ado about Nothing, the current Obstetric-Gynecologic literature overemphasis upon bacterial vaginosis (BV) as the cause of almost everything could be titled, Much Ado about Something That Is Poorly Understood. The ‘much ado’ is highlighted by repeated reiterations that this is the number one cause of vaginitis in the United States and western Europe, with the more concerning emphasis about its alleged role in the causation of premature labor, pre-term premature rupture of membranes, pelvic inflammatory disease, Chlamydia trachomatis infection, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, cervical cancer, post-operative pelvic infection after hysterectomy, postoperative pelvic infection after pregnancy termination, and post-partum endomyometritis. Women reading lay publications have been bombarded with the theme that BV is ‘Public Health Enemy Number One’.
