Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41352345›Full record

ArticleCell reports2025

The neovaginal microbiota, symptoms, and local immune correlates in transfeminine individuals with penile inversion vaginoplasty.

Jorge Rojas-Vargas, Hannah Wilcox, Bern Monari, Pawel Gajer, David Zuanazzi, Ainslie Shouldice, Reeya Parmar, Priscilla Haywood, Vera Tai, Yonah Krakowsky and 3 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Cell reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing 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

7 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Jorge Rojas-VargasDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada; Department of Biology, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
Hannah WilcoxDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
Bern MonariCenter for Advanced Microbiome Research and Innovation, Institute for Genome Sciences, and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Pawel GajerCenter for Advanced Microbiome Research and Innovation, Institute for Genome Sciences, and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
David ZuanazziDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
Ainslie ShouldiceDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
Reeya ParmarDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
Priscilla HaywoodCenter for Advanced Microbiome Research and Innovation, Institute for Genome Sciences, and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Vera TaiDepartment of Biology, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
Yonah KrakowskyWomen's College Research Institute, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada; Transition Related Surgery Program, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada; Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Emery PotterWomen's College Research Institute, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada; Transition Related Surgery Program, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada; Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Jacques RavelCenter for Advanced Microbiome Research and Innovation, Institute for Genome Sciences, and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. Electronic address: jravel@som.umaryland.edu.
Jessica L ProdgerDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada. Electronic address: jprodge@uwo.ca.

Funding

TransBiota: Genital microbiome, inflammation and HIV risk in trans men and womenR21AI157912 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE · PI PRODGER, JESSICA LYNN, RAVEL, JACQUES · 2022 to 2023
$400k
NIAID NIH HHS R21 AI157912
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Transfeminine people (assigned male at birth) often undergo penile inversion vaginoplasty to create vulva, a clitoris and a vaginal canal (referred to as a neovagina). After vaginoplasty, transfeminine people frequently experience gynecological concerns, but their etiology is unknown due to a lack of knowledge of the neovaginal microenvironment. We characterized neovaginal microbiota and cytokines in 47 transfeminine participants. Participants self-reported sexual behaviors and symptoms, enabling correlation with bacterial (16S rRNA) and immune profiles. Four distinct clusters of co-occurring bacteria with unique immune profiles were identified. One cluster, which included Fastidiosipila, Ezakiella, and Murdochiella, was abundant, stable, and correlated with lower cytokines. Conversely, another cluster containing Howardella, Parvimonas, Fusobacterium, and Lawsonella was linked to higher cytokines. Although Lactobacillus was detected, Lactobacillus dominance was rare. These findings underscore the need for evidence-based clinical guidelines tailored to transfeminine gynecologic care, emphasizing the vital role of the neovaginal microbiome in symptom management and sexual health.

Indexed as

MicrobiotaTransgender PersonsVaginaAdultCytokinesFemaleHumansMalePenisRNA, Ribosomal, 16SYoung AdultCytokinesRNA, Ribosomal, 16SCP: microbiologygender-affirming caremicrobiotaneovaginasexual healthtransgender healthvaginoplasty

Identifiers

PMID41352345
PMCPMC12825010

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

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.