The exact number of women affected by or at risk for BV is not known. The most recent estimates from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force suggest that 9% to 23% of women of reproductive age may be affected by BV.1
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 1 million pregnant women develop BV every year.2
Among pregnant women, those who are at increased risk for BV include1:
- African-American women
- Women of low socioeconomic status
- Women who have previously delivered an infant with a low birth weight
- U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. (2008). Screening for bacterial vaginosis in pregnancy to prevent preterm delivery: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement (AHRQ Publication No. 08-05106-EF-2). Retrieved May 10, 2012, from http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf08/bv/bvrs.htm [top]
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012). STDs and pregnancy: CDC fact sheet. Retrieved May 5, 2012, from http://www.cdc.gov/std/pregnancy/STDfact-Pregnancy.htm [top]