The complementary seminovaginal microbiome in health and disease

• Published in: Reproductive biomedicine online 2024-11, p.104707, Article 104707
• Main Authors: Molina, Nerea M., Canha-Gouveia, Analuce, Leonés-Baños, Irene, Sola-Leyva, Alberto, Vargas, Eva, Ruíz-Durán, Susana, Tenorio, Celia M., Clavero-Gilabert, Ana, Mändar, Reet, Altmäe, Signe
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 16S rRNA gene; Bacterial Vaginosis; Infertility; Microbiota; Prostatitis; Sexually Transmitted Diseases
• ISSN: 1472-6483
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2024.104707

Infertility, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and genital infections are global concerns. The reproductive tract microbiome appears to play a crucial role in the physiology of both the female and male reproductive tracts. Despite the presence of thousands of microbes in body fluids shared during unprotected sexual intercourse, they have traditionally been studied separately, with greater emphasis on the female (mostly vaginal) microbiome, and the interaction between these microbiomes in a sexually active couple have been overlooked. This review introduces the concept of the 'seminovaginal microbiome'—the collective microbiota of both partners, transferred and shared during sexual interaction. By synthesizing the existing body of NGS-based literature, this review establishes the first holistic view of how these microbiomes interact, influence reproductive health, and affect assisted reproductive technique outcomes, and the occurrence of microbe-associated diseases such as sexually transmitted diseases, prostatitis, bacterial vaginosis, and candidiasis. Additionally, the microbial interplay in homosexual couples and transsexual individuals is discussed.