Few women are comfortable talking about vaginal health openly, leading to misinformation, misdiagnosis and potentially ineffective treatments. But researchers at the University of Idaho (UI) are helping to increase understanding about normal vaginal biology so that women can better identify conditions that make them prone to infections and other diseases. According to UI biologist Larry Forney, microbial ecosystems in the vagina can vary greatly among women. "Unfortunately, prescribed treatments aren't necessarily effective because doctors don't understand distinctive differences in the microbial composition of the vagina among women," he noted.
Forney compared the type of vaginal bacteria in a representative group of Caucasian and black women in North America. Three major findings emerged from the study: there are at least eight kinds of normal vaginal bacterial communities, each community is different, and, among the eight kinds of communities, some bacterial communities are unique to one or the other racial group.
Forney explained that a healthy vagina is populated with lactic acid-producing bacteria. The environment maintains a low pH balance that inhibits the growth of pathogens. "The vagina is elegant in its simplicity," he said. "A healthy vagina maintains itself and is able to self-correct when minor imbalances occur."
But when conditions in the vagina change the pH balance dramatically, harmful bacteria can invade and cause infections, a condition known as bacterial vaginosis. If left untreated or if treatment fails, the condition can predispose a woman to harm from sexually transmitted disease, including HIV.
Forney also said differences in the kinds of bacteria normally present in the vagina might mean that vaginal odor is normal for some women and not an indication of an underlying health problem.
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Source: University of Idaho
