ArticleResearch square2026
The Biosocial Microbiome: Gender Identity, Geography, and Mucosal Microbial Phenotypes.
Article in Research square, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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12 authors.
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Abstract
Background: Transgender women (TGW) experience unique hormonal contexts and high HIV incidence, yet the mucosal microbiome among TGW remains understudied. Sex hormones and geography may shape microbial composition, but the relative contributions of gender identity, feminizing hormone therapy (FHT), and location to mucosal microbial phenotypes among key populations such as TGW are unknown. Methods: We conducted a multi-site study of cisgender men who have sex with men (MSM) and TGW using FHT, both without HIV, in Atlanta, Georgia, USA (n = 58; 25 TGW, 33 MSM) and Bangkok, Thailand (n = 147; 97 TGW, 50 MSM), using cross-sectional sampling (n = 205). We also conducted longitudinal sampling in TGW (n = 21) pre/post FHT initiation. Rectal mucosal swabs were collected from all participants with optional neovaginal sampling in TGW. Microbiota composition was analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing, and associations with gender identity, geography, and serum estradiol and testosterone concentrations were assessed using linear decomposition modeling (LDM)(1) and BOUTH analysis(2). Results: Rectal microbiota differed significantly by both gender identity and geography via LDM and BOUTH analyses. TGW exhibited enrichment of estrogen-metabolizing taxa across sites, while MSM showed Conclusions: These findings underscore the need to consider gender identity as a complex biosocial phenotype in HIV prevention and highlight the potential role of mucosal microbiota in shaping HIV vulnerability in TGW.
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