3.1 Characteristics of included studies
Figure 1 shows the PRISMA flow chart for our literature search. The search process of four medical databases resulted in the retrieval of 156 unique records after removal of duplicates. After we performed the screening of titles and abstracts, 11 full-text studies were rigorously screened against the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Finally, we found three studies to be eligible for this systematic review and meta-analysis, reporting a total of four independent RCTs with 1165 patients with bacterial vaginosis (614 and 551 patients received astodrimer gel and placebo, respectively). Table 1depicts a summary of the baseline characteristics of included studies and the clinico-demographic information of research subjects.