Stressed out vaginas

Just one more thing to fret about when you're feeling overwhelmed--bad vagina days. Researchers checked out 3,614 women on a quarterly basis to see who was stressed and how their vaginas were holding up under the pressure. In particular, they checked for signs of bacterial vaginosis (BV), a condition of bacterial imbalance where the good little lactobacillus critters are crowded out by malodorous gram-negative invaders.

The participants underwent a pelvic exam every three months and filled out a Perceived Stress Scale quiz at the same visit. Those women with troubled vaginas were more likely to exhibit psychic trouble as well. Their PSS scores averaged 2.71 compared with a mellow 2.63 for those with calmer crotches.

Were the women stressed out by the prospect of having a pelvic exam yet again? Were they fretting over the fishy smell emanating from their nether parts? What will researchers research next?