The Vaginal Microbiome: I. Research Development, Lexicon, Defining "Normal" and the Dynamics Throughout Women's Lives

22Citations
Citations of this article
91Readers
Mendeley users who have this article in their library.
Get full text

Abstract

Objective: This series of articles, titled The Vaginal Microbiome, written on behalf of the International Society for the Study of Vulvovaginal Disease, aims to summarize the current findings and understanding of the vaginal bacterial microbiota, mainly regarding areas relevant to clinicians specializing in vulvovaginal disorders. Materials and Methods: A database search of PubMed was performed, using the search terms "vaginal microbiome"(VMB) with "research,""normal,""neonate,""puberty,""adolescent,""menopause,"and "ethnicities,"as well as "human microbiome project."Full article texts were reviewed. Reference lists were screened for additional articles. Results: In the last 2 decades, many studies applying molecular techniques were performed, intending to characterize the vaginal microbiota. These studies advanced our understanding of how vaginal health is defined. The first article in this series focuses on the advancement of VMB research, technical definitions, the definition of "normal"VMB, and the dynamics of VMB throughout women's lives. Conclusions: Understanding how microorganisms inhabiting the vagina interact with each other and with the host is important for a more complete understanding of vaginal health. The clinical application of microbial community sequencing is in its beginning, and its interpretation regarding practical clinical aspects is yet to be determined.

Cite

CITATION STYLE

APA

Verstraelen, H., Vieira-Baptista, P., De Seta, F., Ventolini, G., Lonnee-Hoffmann, R., & Lev-Sagie, A. (2022, January 1). The Vaginal Microbiome: I. Research Development, Lexicon, Defining “Normal” and the Dynamics Throughout Women’s Lives. Journal of Lower Genital Tract Disease. Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. https://doi.org/10.1097/LGT.0000000000000643

Register to see more suggestions

Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.

Already have an account?

Save time finding and organizing research with Mendeley

Sign up for free