A citizen science approach has helped craft a resource-rich vaginal microbiome map with associations to lifestyle and events across a woman’s life course.
A self-sampling study of 3,345 women in Belgium called ‘Isala’, named after the first female doctor in Belgium, was designed to break societal taboos, as well as to provide insights into how vaginal bacteria are associated with women’s health. Lactobacillus crispatus seemed to be the most prevalent taxon in the healthy cohort (in 43.2% of samples), followed by Lactobacillus iners (27.7%) and Gardnerella species (9.8%). Age, motherhood, estrogen levels and menstrual stage emerged as strong influential factors that shape the vaginal microbiota. Additionally, menstrual products, contraceptives, sexual activity and partnership choices, as well as diet, also seemed to modulate the vaginal microbiome.
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