Bacterial transfer during sexual intercourse as a tool for forensic detection.

Ruby Dixon, Siobhon Egan, Matthew Payne, Christopher Mullally, Brendan Chapman

Abstract read

In one paragraph

Article in iScience, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it

0cells of the map it votes in

5citing 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

5 citing papers in PubMed.

Forensic Microbiomics and Trace Microbial Evidence: Molecular Innovations for Linking Suspects, Objects, and Environments.Microorganisms · 2026
Review
Post-coital dynamics of the penile and cervico-vaginal genital microbiome.Microbiome · 2026
Article
High-Resolution Microbial Fingerprinting for Forensic Individual Identification: A Proof-of-Concept Study Integrating 2bRAD-M and Hierarchical Attention Network.Genes · 2026
Article
Sexual transfer of bacteria for forensic use.Nature reviews. Urology · 2025
Article
Investigating the Link Between Intimate Health, Hygiene and Sexual Practices and the Vaginal Microbiome-The INTIMATE Study.Reproductive medicine and biology
Article

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

5 authors.

Ruby DixonMedical, Molecular and Forensic Sciences, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia.

Siobhon EganMedical, Molecular and Forensic Sciences, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia.

Matthew PayneDivision of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.

Christopher MullallyMedical, Molecular and Forensic Sciences, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia.

Brendan ChapmanMedical, Molecular and Forensic Sciences, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

In forensic science, detecting transfers of physical and biological material is critical for establishing evidence of criminal involvement. Unique bacterial signatures from the reproductive system transfer during unprotected penetrative intercourse offer a novel tool for criminal investigation. Here, we demonstrate this transfer using full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing and discuss the impact of barrier contraceptives. These microbial signatures can potentially aid in sexual assault casework for perpetrator identification when human male DNA is absent.

Indexed as

Biological sciencesMicrobiome

Identifiers

PMID40061054

DOI10.1016/j.isci.2025.111861

PMCPMC11889491

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY

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Registered trials

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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.