Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39919958›Full record

ReviewTrends in microbiology2025

Diversity in women and their vaginal microbiota.

Sandra Condori-Catachura, Sarah Ahannach, Monica Ticlla, Josiane Kenfack, Esemu Livo, Kingsley C Anukam, Viviana Pinedo-Cancino, Maria Carmen Collado, Maria Gloria Dominguez-Bello, Corrie Miller and 6 more

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Trends in microbiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 27 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
27citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

27 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors.

Sandra Condori-CatachuraLaboratory of Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, Department of Bioscience Engineering, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium.
Sarah AhannachLaboratory of Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, Department of Bioscience Engineering, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium; U-MaMi Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
Monica TicllaLaboratory of Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, Department of Bioscience Engineering, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium; Unit Society, Gender and Health - Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland.
Josiane KenfackLaboratory of Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, Department of Bioscience Engineering, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroon; Centre for Research on Emerging and Reemerging Diseases, Institute of Medical Research and Medicinal Plant Studies, Yaounde, Cameroon; The Biotechnology Center, University of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroon.
Esemu LivoCentre for Research on Emerging and Reemerging Diseases, Institute of Medical Research and Medicinal Plant Studies, Yaounde, Cameroon; The Biotechnology Center, University of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroon; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon; Strengthening Health and Applied Research, Yaounde, Cameroon.
Kingsley C AnukamDepartment of Medical Microbiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medical Laboratory Science, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nigeria.
Viviana Pinedo-CancinoLaboratorio de Investigación de Productos Naturales Antiparasitarios de la Amazonía (LIPNAA), Centro de Investigaciones de Recursos Naturales de la UNAP (CIRNA), Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana (UNAP), Iquitos, Peru; Facultad de Medicina Humana, Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana (UNAP), Iquitos, Peru.
Maria Carmen ColladoDepartment of Biotechnology, Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology - National Research Council (IATA-CSIC), Paterna, Valencia, Spain.
Maria Gloria Dominguez-BelloDepartment of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA; Department of Anthropology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA; Humans and the Microbiome Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Corrie MillerDepartment of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health, Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA.
Gabriel VinderolaInstituto de Lactología Industrial (INLAIN, CONICET-UNL), Facultad de Ingeniería Química, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina.
Sonja MertenUnit Society, Gender and Health - Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland.
Gilbert G G DondersDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital Antwerp, Edegem, Belgium.; Regional Hospital Heilig Hart, Tienen, Belgium; Femicare Clinical Research for Women, Tienen, Belgium.
Thies GehrmannLaboratory of Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, Department of Bioscience Engineering, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium.
Isala Sisterhood ConsortiumU-MaMi Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
Sarah LebeerLaboratory of Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, Department of Bioscience Engineering, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium; U-MaMi Centre of Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium. Electronic address: sarah.lebeer@uantwerpen.be.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Women's health is essential to global societal and economic wellbeing, yet health disparities remain prevalent. The vaginal microbiota plays a critical role in health, with research indicating that reduced levels of core bacteria, such as lactobacilli, are associated with conditions like bacterial vaginosis (BV) and increased infection susceptibility. Lower levels of vaginal lactobacilli are reported more frequently in women of African and Latin American descent compared with women of European and Asian descent. However, geographical and other study inclusion and analysis biases influence current research. This opinion highlights the need for a more comprehensive understanding of a 'healthy' vaginal microbiome. It underscores efforts to broaden global research on microbiome diversity in socially relevant contexts, avoiding inappropriate applications of terms such as race and ethnicity.

Indexed as

MicrobiotaVaginaFemaleHumansLactobacillusVaginosis, BacterialWomen's Healthcapacity buildingcitizen sciencecommunity outreachhealth equityinternationalizationopen science and transparencytaboo breakingvaginal microbiomewomen empowermentwomen’s health

Identifiers

PMID39919958
PMCPMC12628047

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.