Abstract

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a common yet poorly understood vaginal condition that has become a major focus of HIV transmission and immunology research. Varied terminologies are used by clinicians and researchers to describe microbial communities that reside in the female reproductive tract, which is driven in part by microbial genetic and metabolic complexity, evolving diagnostic and molecular techniques, and multidisciplinary perspectives of clinicians, epidemiologists, microbiologists, and immunologists who all appreciate the scientific importance of understanding mechanisms that underlie “BV”. This Perspectives article aims to clarify the varied terms used to describe the cervicovaginal microbiota and its “non-optimal” state, under the overarching term of BV. The ultimate goal is to move toward language standardization in future literature that facilitates a better understanding of the impact of BV on female reproductive tract immunology and risk of sexually transmitted infections including HIV.

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Projects

• Antimicrobial and immune modulatory effects of vaginal microbiota metabolites
  Determining the role of vaginal microbiota metabolites in activating HIV and other STIs.
• Impact of a vaginal microbiota metabolite on epithelium integrity and HIV susceptibility
  Determining the role of a vaginal microbiota metabolite in enhancing the mucosal barrier to prevent HIV transmission.