Sex differences in the risk factors for Staphylococcus aureus throat carriage.

Background: Male gender and adiposity are considered to be risk factors for Staphylococcus aureus carriage. We tested whether colonization is related to free testosterone (fT) level and adiposity, measured with body mass index (BMI) and body fat percentage (BFP), in healthy adults.

Methods: Blood sample and throat swabs were taken twice (at 4-week intervals) from healthy men and women aged 18-36 years.