Cervicovaginal microbiota and women’s health outcomes
Ciara J Bryant A , Catherine Burke A and Wilhelmina M Huston A B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, 15 Broadway, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
B Tel.: +61 2 9514 3449; Email: Wilhelmina.Huston@uts.edu.au
Microbiology Australia 42(2) 65-68 https://doi.org/10.1071/MA21022
Submitted: 2 April 2021 Accepted: 30 April 2021 Published: 19 May 2021
Journal Compilation © The Authors 2021 Open Access CC BY-NC-ND, published (by CSIRO Publishing) on behalf of the ASM
Abstract
The human cervicovaginal microbiome has an important role in the health and homoeostasis of the female reproductive tract. A eubiotic microbiome is typically dominated with lactic acid producing bacteria and is categorised into five community state types. Issues arise when the microbiome becomes dysbiotic, with the microbial composition shifting to contain a greater relative abundance of strict and facultative anaerobes. This shift will lead to several adverse changes in the vaginal environment including compromised epithelial cells, cell death, inflammation, and greater susceptibility to infection. These changes are associated with various adverse outcomes including infections, preterm birth, and infertility. In this review, we discuss how the cervicovaginal microbiome influences these outcomes and possible future directions of treatment and research.
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