Sexual Health: More Risks for Black Women

The most common vaginal infection in women of childbearing age (also known as bacterial vaginosis) is associated with vitamin D deficiency based on recent study results, according to The New York Times. The disorder is treatable with antibiotics but it can lead to premature birth and is a major cause of infant mortality. The analysis, published in The Journal of Nutrition, examined 209 White and 260 Black pregnant women at a Pittsburgh clinic and found that more than half had inadequate vitamin D levels. About 52 percent of Black women had bacterial vaginosis, compared with 27 percent of White women, and Black women were almost three times as likely to be vitamin D deficient, probably because darker skin prevents adequate synthesis of the vitamin.—BB