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Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a proinflammatory genital condition characterized by high vaginal bacterial diversity and a paucity of Lactobacillus species. BV has been linked to an elevated risk of HIV acquisition among HIV-negative women and of forward HIV transmission to male sex partners among women living with HIV (adjusted hazard ratios of 1.69 and 3.17, respectively), potentially by eliciting genital inflammation in women with BV and their male sex partners. BV is also highly prevalent among women in sub-Saharan Africa, suggesting that BV treatment may have potential as an HIV prevention strategy. BV is typically treated with antibiotics but recurrence rates are high, possibly because treatment does not directly promote Lactobacillus growth. More recently, BV treatment strategies incorporating live biotherapeutic lactobacilli have led to sustained optimization of the vaginal microbiome and a decrease in inflammatory biomarkers previously associated with HIV susceptibility. Future studies are urgently needed to evaluate BV treatment strategies that can optimize the vaginal microbiome in the long term through colonization with H O -producing vaginal lactobacilli and to assess whether vaginal microbiota optimization is able to reduce the risk of HIV transmission.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/joim.13600 | DOI Listing |
Reprod Biomed Online
May 2025
Materno-fetal and Obstetrics Research Unit, Department Woman-Mother-Child, University Hospital of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland. Electronic address:
Research Question: What is the composition of bacterial communities at various genital sites and are there potential interactions between partners' microbiota?
Design: This observational study involved metagenomic analyses of samples collected from male and female partners of couples undergoing fertility treatment. Samples included vaginal and penile swabs, as well as follicular fluid and semen, which were analysed using next-generation sequencing.
Results: The bacterial community profiles of different genital tract niches were distinct, niche-specific compositions, with female samples predominantly featuring Lactobacillus species and male samples displaying greater microbial diversity, including genital-specific and skin-associated taxa.
J Nutr
September 2025
Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Centre National de Recherche en Génomique Humaine (CNRGH), 91057 Evry, France. Electronic address:
Background: Breast milk represents the optimal feeding strategy for newborns, supporting not only nutrition but also the establishment of a unique microbiota. The bacterial composition and diversity of this microbiota are shaped by various maternal and infant-related factors.
Objectives: This single-center prospective study aimed to examine the breast milk microbiota and determine the maternal and infant-related factors influencing its composition and diversity over the time.
Although bacterial vaginosis (BV) affects 30% of women worldwide and is associated with adverse health outcomes, current standard-of-care antibiotics fail in over half of cases and treatments have not improved in over 40 years. Probiotics have been proposed as alternative treatments, but fail to restore an optimal lactobacilli-dominated microbiome in the vast majority of patients. Here, we present findings from a pilot clinical trial demonstrating the successful engraftment of vaginal microbiota transplantations (VMTs) after antibiotic treatment in individuals with recurrent BV.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe vaginal microbiome plays a critical role in maintaining immune and epithelial homeostasis in the female reproductive tract. Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) is deleterious to female health, causing the loss of beneficial species, overgrowth of anaerobic taxa, changes in vaginal pH, breakdown of protective mucins and epithelial barriers, and activation of the immune system. Treatment with gel-based antibiotics (Metronidazole or Clindamycin) resolves BV for 85% of patients, but 50% of those cases recur, indicating a need to identify strategies for overcoming antibiotic resistance and achieving a more durable response.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObstet Gynecol
September 2025
Division of Urogynecology & Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery and the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina; and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center-Magee Womens Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common and burdensome in women. Here, we discuss challenges with our current models of care and how evolving insights into the female urogenital microbiome have advanced the understanding of how we diagnose, treat, and prevent recurrent UTIs in nonpregnant adult women. Traditional care models attribute recurrent UTIs mainly to gastrointestinal sources, resulting in significant emphasis on eradicating pathogens with potential overreliance on antibiotics.
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