Colonization of sexually abused children with genital mycoplasmas.

Abstract

Although sexually abused children are usually evaluated only for the presence of infections with Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Treponema pallidum, they are also at risk for acquiring other sexually transmitted organisms prevalent in the adult population. Accordingly, we examined pharyngeal, anorectal and genital specimens from 50 children who had been sexually abused and from 40 healthy children who served as controls; these specimens were cultured for Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum. M. hominis was isolated from the anorectal and vaginal cultures of 11 (23%) and 16 (34%), respectively, of 47 abused girls as compared with three (8%) and six (17%), respectively, of 36 controls. U. urealyticum was isolated from the anorectal and vaginal cultures of nine (19%) and 14 (30%), respectively, of the abused girls as compared with one (3%) and three (8%), respectively, of 36 controls. Colonization with genital mycoplasmas was not associated with any symptoms.