Characterizing the “Healthy” Vagina

[FarCenter]

For years, researchers characterized the microbial community of women’s vaginas as being dominated by Lactobacillus bacteria, which ferment carbohydrates to lactic acid, yielding a low pH that is toxic to many pathogenic microbes. When levels of Lactobacillus drop, the pH becomes more neutral, and the risk of infection rises.

But with research revealing notable variation among women’s vaginal microbiomes, as well as some interesting dynamics of the microbial communities within a single organ, “that dogma is changing a little bit,” said Gregory Buck of the Vaginal Microbiome Consortium at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU).

The composition and stability of the vaginal microbiome varies by race, age, even within an individual—and it’s quickly become clear that the formula for a “normal,” “healthy” microbial community cannot be computed by ratios of bacterial species. “In the past we’ve made some generalizations about what kinds of bacteria are found in the vagina, what kinds of bacteria are good or healthy or protective,” said microbial ecologist Larry Forney of the University of Idaho. “What the research is showing is there are tremendous differences between women in terms of the kinds of bacteria that are present and the changes in the communities that occur over time.”

...

The researchers also found that the composition of a woman’s vaginal microbiome was linked to her race. Eighty percent of Asian women and nearly 90 percent of white women harbored vaginal microbiomes that were dominated by Lactobacillus, while only about 60 percent of Hispanic and black women did. Moreover, vaginal pH varied with ethnicity as well, with Hispanic and black women averaging 5.0 and 4.7, respectively, and Asian and white women averaging 4.4 and 4.2. “There is a racial difference in the vaginal environment and the microbial [community] in parallel,” said Buck.

http://www.the-scientist.com//?articles.view/articleNo/40006/title/Characterizing-the--Healthy--Vagina/

[NightWatcher]

1. Can't wait to see where this goes

[Iggo]

2. Why?

[redqueen]

3. Because VAGINA!!!!

Can't believe you have to ask.

It's like fucking romper room in here.

[cali]

24. spot on. good grief. babies.

[MoonRiver]

18. Exactly

UGH

[Gman]

4. So I guess GD is now the new Women's Issues forum

[madinmaryland]

5. Now all we need is a "Healthy" Penis thread.

[maddezmom]

6. Oh no not a circumcision thread

[madinmaryland]

7. Some say that a circumsized penis makes for a healthy penis...

[maddezmom]

8. And some members get all snippy

About that kind of statement.

[Warren Stupidity]

9. I say circimcision is only appropriate if done while breast feeding in olive garden

by a vaping orthodox mohel.

[retread]

13. Hahaha!! Snippy! I would borrow that one, but I have no skin in that game.

[Aerows]

27. I think it's just

the tip of the iceberg if you ask me.

[In_The_Wind]

14. Some of us would agree with you.

[Major Nikon]

11. Would Senhor Testiculo work?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1018&pid=512932

[longship]

10. The Vagina Monologues on the steps of the Michigan state capital building.

After a state congresswoman was censored for daring to speak the word "vagina" on the floor of the Michigan legislature, an entirely appropriate protest. Texas is not the only state with a state legislature of ignorant Neanderthal men.

[AngryAmish]

12. Race is a social construct.

This research is bullshit.

[antiquie]

15. Do you believe the Irish are a separate race?

Germans?

My belief is the belief that race is a social construct is held by people who confuse ethnicity, culture and tradition for race.

Obviously, YMV.

[snooper2]

17. Yeah, because humans evolving in different parts of the World for 10's of thousands of years

Couldn't POSSIBLY have different biological characteristics LOL


Unless you believe in and actually follow the/a bible....then you might have a point

[Silent3]

20. So, what do you contend happened here? Someone just faked all of this data...

...or someone's deep-seated prejudices about who has the most Lactobacillus or the lowest pH skewed the results?

To what evil socially constructed end?

And so what if "race is a social construct", and nothing more? Social constructs can have powerful influences on where people live, what they eat, who they associate with, what work they do, etc. It would be totally unsurprising for these kinds of socially constructed differences to lead to distinct biological consequences.

It's one thing to have some healthy suspicion that researchers aren't handling an issue like race correctly. It's quite another to have an flippantly dismissive knee-jerk "Bullshit!" reaction just because someone's research doesn't sit well with your own preconceived notions.

[Lee-Lee]

22. Really? Do you think genetics are just fantasy too?

What other sciences do you dismiss?

What next, going to tell us people choose to be homosexual?

[snooper2]

16. who knew there was a dedicated "Vaginal Microbiome Consortium" LOL

It's only nine in the morning and I already learned something new today, now I can go back to bed

[Orrex]

19. You should get on the VMC mailing list.

[vanlassie]

23. The VMC at VCU.

[Silent3]

21. I wonder if this research involved creating new cheeses?

http://www.cnet.com/news/cheese-made-from-human-toe-jam-belly-button-bacteria/

[cali]

25. I wonder why people think juvenile crap is funny.

[bettyellen]

26. I read that babies birthed vaginally get the "flora" they need in their digestive tracts and skin

from the trip through the birth canal. Interesting that there are so many kinds and they don't understand them all yet.

[TygrBright]

28. I wonder if they controlled for diet?

I suspect they'll find some connections with body pH and other macroenvironmental factors that link to diet.

That may have some relationship to the ethnicity findings, but then again, maybe not.

It's a fascinating topic, even if it is (sorry) ripe for childish merriment.

interestedly,
Bright