Penis Microbiota Predicts If the Female Partner of a Man Is Likely to Develop Bacterial Vaginosis

Previous studies have it, among the sexually transmitted infections or STIs, bacterial vaginosis or BV is affecting over one-fifth of women worldwide. This particular condition stems from certain bacteria's production and multiplying in the vagina.

The said studies have also emphasized that partners' reproductive microbiomes could possibly be exchanged in BV. 

Currently, a team of scientists from the University of Illinois compared couples' microbiota before and after the BV's development.

Recently published research presented that the microbiota of men plays a vital role at the beginning of BV, as well as the microbiome in the penis can contribute to the prediction of whether their female partner is likely to have an infection.

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More than 20% of Women Globally Affected

Health and Medicine experts explain BV as an infection that affects over 20 percent of women globally. Resulting from a "change in the vaginal microbiota's natural balance," such an infection can result in the negative results in pregnancy, not to mention, the vulnerability of sexually-transmitted illnesses like herpes simplex virus or HIV, to name a couple.

While previously-held studies strongly propose that the reproductive microbiomes of partners might be switched in BV, the question, if the "penile microbiota at the origin of BV onset in women," remained unanswered.

To find an answer to such a question, researchers compared the couples' microbiota before and after the BV's occurrence. Reports said, the results, which were published recently, specified that the microbiota of men has a role in the onset of BV, as well as the BV-related bacteria that exists in the penile microbiome of men that can be used to forecast with high precision BV occurrence "in their female partner."

Meanwhile, the risks of the said research could possibly be high for women infested by BV. According to University of Illinois epidemiologist, Dr. Supriya Mehta, treatment of BV through the use of antibiotic, has restricted "long-term success that has half of the women with the recurring condition within six months" and thus, there is a need for more efficient strategies to such treatment. Mehta added that treatment for male sex partner might be a new tactic.

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Link Evaluated

To carefully evaluate the link between the composition of penile microbiota and onset of BV, the said group of researchers observed more than 160 Kenyan heterosexual couples in which women did not have bacterial vaginosis at the beginning of the study.

Over the one-year period, more than 31 percent of the female respondents developed the said condition. While the whole composition of microbiota varied between men, the analysis presented a direct link between the microbiome composition of a man and the incidence of BV in his female counterpart later in the year.

Furthermore, the sequential link observed proses that the penile microbiota's nature could function as BV's predictor.

Through the use of "machine learning algorithms," the team of researchers focused on 10 BV-related microbes discovered in the microbiota of men that could be employed and utilized to forecast with high precision, the existence of BV among women.

Possible Scenarios

Researchers discussed two probable scenarios related to the study they conducted. First, the BV-linked bacteria discovered in males' microbiome may have a direct effect on the start of BV when transferred to the vagina "during sexual contact."

The second scenario was that, penile bacteria might only help in a general "pubertation of the vaginal microbiome's natural balance," and induce BV in the long run, or after a recurring exposure.

To expose the actual mechanism through which penile microbiota activate BV in women partners, more studies, according to reports, will be needed.

As a whole, this said research proposes that there may be enhanced efficacy of treating BV in both the men and women partners.

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