Screening for Asymptomatic Bacterial Vaginosis in Pregnancy

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force advises against screening asymptomatic pregnant women not at excess risk for preterm delivery.

Sponsoring Organization: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)

Background

To update its 2008 guideline, the USPSTF conducted a systematic review of the literature focused on bacterial vaginosis and pregnancy. The task force asked, “Does screening for and treatment of asymptomatic bacterial vaginosis reduce preterm delivery and related morbidity and mortality? What is the diagnostic accuracy of tests used to screen for bacterial vaginosis? What are the harms of screening for and treating bacterial vaginosis in pregnant adolescents?”

Key Points

The USPSTF advises against screening asymptomatic pregnant women for bacterial vaginosis who are not at excess risk for preterm delivery.
There is insufficient evidence to evaluate the balance of ben…

Reviewing Author

Robert L. Barbieri, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportNational Institutes of Health

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