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July 14, 2025
COMMUNITY AND GLOBAL HEALTH
Article
Five Surprising Stats That Reveal the Hidden Burden of Vaginitis
The Need for Point-of-Care NAAT Testing
Vaginitis is a common yet often underdiagnosed health concern for millions of women across the United States. A recent AJOG Global Reports study shows that many symptomatic patients do not receive diagnostic testing, yet a large portion are still treated empirically, leading to potential mismanagement, repeat visits, and ongoing symptoms. Below are five statistics from the study that shed light on the true scope of the problem and the need for more accurate, rapid testing methods.
18.7+ Million Patients Sought Care
Between 1/1/2018 and 9/30/2022, more than 18.7 million people visited healthcare providers for vaginitis-related symptoms, far higher than most realize.
76.2% of Patients Weren’t Tested
Despite presenting at clinics with vaginitis symptoms, more than 75% of patient records did not show evidence of diagnostic testing for vaginitis at their initial visit.
1 in 4 Untested Patients Were Empirically Treated
Even without test results to guide treatment, 25% of untested patients were prescribed vaginitis-related medications on the day of their initial visit.
30% Returned for Repeat Visits
Approximately one-third of the study population ended up back in the clinic for unresolved or recurring vaginitis symptoms, resulting in more than 2 million additional clinic visits.
Medicaid patients had 26% higher odds of repeat vaginitis-related visits vs. those with commercial insurance.
Medicaid patients also had 34% higher odds of ≥2 treatment dates, suggesting that Medicaid recipients may benefit most from access to NAAT panels.
These findings reveal how underutilized diagnostics and widespread empiric treatment can drive repeat healthcare visits and suboptimal patient outcomes. Embracing point-of-care NAAT panels—known for their high sensitivity and specificity—could curb misdiagnoses, reduce reliance on guesswork, and improve women’s health on a broad scale. By prioritizing accurate, testing, clinicians can offer more diagnostic-guided prescribing, which is expected to ease the overall clinical burden of vaginitis.
Reference
Chen J et al. Real-world Clinical Burden of Patients Presenting with Vaginitis Symptoms in the United States, AJOG Global Reports, 2025, 100504, ISSN 2666-5778, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xagr.2025.100504. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666577825000656
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