Changes in the Vaginal Microbiome During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period in South African Women: a Longitudinal Study.

ABSTRACT: Pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa have high rates of maternal morbidity. There is interest in the impact of the vaginal microbiome on maternal health, including HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) acquisition. We characterized the vaginal microbiota of South African women ≥ 18 years with and without HIV in a longitudinal cohort over two visits during pregnancy and one visit postpartum. At each visit, we obtained HIV testing and self-collected vaginal swabs for point-of-care testing for STIs and microbiota sequencing. We categorized microbial communities and evaluated changes over pregnancy and associations with HIV status and STI diagnosis. Across 242 women (mean age 29, 44% living with HIV, 33% diagnosed with STIs), we identified four main community state types (CSTs): two lac

SUBMITTER: Li KT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10784382 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature