DOI: https://doi.org/10.36347/sjams.2026.v14i04.015

Pages: 516-521

Background: Abnormal vaginal discharge is a common gynecological complaint among women of reproductive age, often indicating underlying fungal, bacterial, or protozoal infections. Candida albicans, Gardnerella vaginalis, and Trichomonas vaginalis are primary pathogens, and timely detection is essential for effective management and prevention of complications. Self-collected vaginal swabs have emerged as a patient-friendly diagnostic alternative to physician-collected swabs. Objective: To evaluate the clinical status of abnormal vaginal discharge in women and compare the diagnostic accuracy of self-collected versus physician-collected vaginal swabs for pathogen detection. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, Bangladesh, from February 2020 to August 2021. A total of 222 women aged 15–49 years presenting with abnormal vaginal discharge were enrolled. Socio-demographic data were collected, and each participant provided two self-collected and two physician-collected vaginal swabs. Wet mount examination, Gram staining with Nugent scoring, and culture on Sabouraud’s dextrose agar were performed to detect Trichomonas vaginalis, Gardnerella vaginalis, and Candida albicans, respectively. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 26.0, with p < 0.05 considered significant. Results: Candida albicans was the most prevalent pathogen (43.2%), followed by Gardnerella vaginalis (28.4%) and Trichomonas vaginalis (3.6%). No pathogenic organism was identified in 24.8% of participants. Candida and Gardnerella infections were evenly distributed across socio-demographic variables, whereas Trichomonas infection was significantly higher among women aged 15–25 years (10%; p = 0.025). Self-collected swabs demonstrated high concordance with physician-collected swabs, with 95.8% sensitivity and 98.4% specificity for Candida detection (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Candida albicans is the le