Role of Vaginal Microbiome in Women's Health
A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Microbiomes".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 1096
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The vaginal microbiome is a critical determinant of health that influences a woman's well-being across her entire lifespan. From pubertal development and immune maturation in adolescence, to its profound implications for fertility, pregnancy complications (such as preterm birth and infections), and adverse pregnancy outcomes in reproductive years, and further to postpartum recovery and urogenital health during menopause, a balanced vaginal microbiota is essential. Its role extends beyond infectious diseases like bacterial vaginosis, increasingly linking it to chronic inflammatory conditions, metabolic health, and broader physiological states.
Driven by advances in high-throughput technologies—including metagenomic sequencing, metabolomics, and proteomics—the intricate landscape of the vaginal microenvironment is being elucidated with unprecedented clarity. These tools allow deep characterization of microbial composition, metabolic activity, and host–microbe interactions, offering novel insights into female health and disease.
The Special Issue entitled "Role of Vaginal Microbiome in Women's Health" aims to present recent research on any aspect of the vaginal microbiome. Some of its focal points include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Vaginal microbiome and gynecological endocrine disorders fertility, infertility and assisted reproduction outcomes;
- Vaginal microbiome and pregnancy-related complications, pregnancy outcomes and postpartum rehabilitation;
- A lifespan perspective: the vaginal microbiome from menarche to menopause;
- Novel biomarkers in the vaginal microenvironment;
- Advances in research on diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of infectious vaginal diseases;
- Vaginal microbiome in gynecological oncology: connections to cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancer risk, progression, and therapeutic response;
- Immunological aspects of the vaginal microbiome: mucosal immunity and systemic effects;
- Modifiable factors influencing vaginal microbiome: the impact of lifestyle, medications, and environmental exposures;
- Vaginal microbiome diversity across populations: understanding racial, ethnic, and geographic differences in women's health.
Reviews, original research, and communications will be welcome.
Dr. Xiang Hong
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- vaginal microbiome
- women's health
- pregnancy complications
- menopause
- infertility Lactobacillus
- Gardnerella vaginalis
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