'From women for women': A citizen science approach engaging women in the isolation and application of the vaginal health-associated bacterium Lactobacillus crispatus.

ABSTRACT: A vaginal microbiome rich in Lactobacillus crispatus is associated with good reproductive and sexual health outcomes. Dysbiosis, indicated by the loss of Lactobacillus crispatus, is a risk factor for urogenital infections, such as the clinical diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis (BV) or urinary tract infections. While many scientists have explored probiotics using a conventional pharmaceutical approach, concerns about accessibility and affordability prompt an investigation into a preventive approach using this naturally occurring bacterium. Our study aimed to explore a potential woman-friendly vaginal probiotic product using the naturally occurring bacterium, Lactobacillus crispatus. Citizen scientists actively participated in a two-day practicum and successfully performed the procedures usin

SUBMITTER: Illidge S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11554043 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature