Vaginal Microbiome and Its Relationship to Behavior, Sexual Health, and Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Abstract

The vaginal microbiota has great significance in maintaining vaginal health and protecting the host from disease. Recent advances in molecular techniques and informatics allow researchers to explore microbial composition in detail and to compare the structure of vaginal microbial communities with behavior and health outcomes, particularly acquisition and transmission of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and poor birth outcomes. Vaginal flora have been found to cluster into a limited number of communities, although community structure is dynamic. Certain community types are more associated with poor reproductive outcomes and STDs; communities dominated by Lactobacillus species, particularly Lactobacillus crispatus, are most associated with vaginal health. Modifiable and nonmodifiable factors are strongly associated with community composition, including behavior, race or ethnicity, and hygiene. In this review, we describe the state of the science on the vaginal microbiome and its relationship to behavior, sexual health, and STDs, including determinants of the microbiome that go beyond an individual level.

Neighborhood deprivation and adverse perinatal outcomes in Sweden: A population‐based register study

“…An unsafe environment might have a potential negative impact on women's reproductive health through various pathways. Preterm contractions, intrauterine growth restriction and stillbirth could be attributed to altered neuroendocrine pathways induced by stress or inflammatory processes, or to individual or behavioral factors present within deprived areas . Perinatal outcomes also reflect care‐related factors in terms of access to and acceptance of antenatal care, affected by language, transport and culture barriers …”

“…Preterm contractions, intrauterine growth restriction and stillbirth could be attributed to altered neuroendocrine pathways induced by stress or inflammatory processes, 16 or to individual or behavioral factors present within deprived areas. 17,18 Perinatal outcomes also reflect care-related factors in terms of access to and acceptance of antenatal care, affected by language, transport and culture barriers. 17,19 The aim of the study was to investigate whether there is a contextual effect of living in a socially deprived area in Sweden on the risk of preterm birth, being born small for gestational age (SGA) and stillbirth, and to what extent maternal and social factors explain the association.…”

Lactobacillus crispatus accelerates re‐epithelialization in vaginal epithelial cell line MS74

“…26 Hence, delayed wound healing exacerbates inflammation, resulting in pathogen entry, and vice versa; maintaining or recovering the barrier integrity of epithelia is required for vaginal health. 29 Here, we investigated whether L. crispatus, one of the most common Lactobacillus species in the vagina and among the most protective against STI, 30 29 Here, we investigated whether L. crispatus, one of the most common Lactobacillus species in the vagina and among the most protective against STI, 30 …”

“…27 Re-epithelialization, the migration and proliferation of epithelial cells, 28 is an important step of mucosal wound repair, as well as that of skin and other tissues, sealing the epithelial defect and restoring barrier integrity. 29 Here, we investigated whether L. crispatus, one of the most common Lactobacillus species in the vagina and among the most protective against STI, 30…”

New Formula for the Treatment of Bacterial Vaginosis: (1 + 1) × 6

“…О сновным фактором защиты макроорганизма человека от агрессивного воздействия экзогенной микрофлоры является колонизационная резистентность биотопов естественных полостей тела, граничащих с внешней средой [1]. Под колонизационной резистентностью понимают совокупность механизмов, поддерживающих стабильность популяционного и количественного состава компонентов нормального микроценоза.…”