Overview of Vaginal Practices in Nigerian Women, effects on Microbiome and Cervical Cancer Francisca Nwaokorie*1, Oliver Ezechi2, Folasade Ogunsola3 1Department of Medical Laboratory Science; Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Nigeria; 2Clinical Science Division, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria, 3Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Nigeria. *Corresponding author
There is increasing evidence thatvaginal microbiomecan influencewomen's reproductive health. The presence of certain species are associated with the maintenance of a healthy vagina. Disruption of the microbiota, due to unprotected sexual activities, as well as intravaginal practices may putwomen at a higher risk of acquiring sexually transmitted infection including Human immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) and cervical cancer. Prevalent high-risk HPV infection have been identified in Nigerian women with or without HIV infection. However, the pattern of microbiome and its association with cervical cancers and HIV infection which is endemic in Nigeria is not fully established. Vaginal products and or vaginal practices are used in cleansing, tightening and or drying the vagina. To what extent this contributes to vaginal microbiome is not well understood. This review provide information on composition of cultivable and non culturable bacterial species found in Nigerian women in health and disease conditions. It also assessed factors including traditional practices that may lead to changes in microbiome of women of reproductive age. Such requires studies to see what maybe their roles in vaginal microbiome and possible relationship to high risk human papilloma virus.
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