BACKGROUND Fastidious bacteria have been associated with bacterial vaginosis (BV) using PCR methods. We assessed the prevalence of these bacteria in HIV-1 infected women and their relationship with vaginal pH and shedding of HIV-1 RNA. METHODS 64 cervicovaginal lavage (CVL) samples were collected from 51 women. Vaginal microbiota were characterized using 8 bacterium-specific quantitative PCR ...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this exploratory pilot study was to determine if there are differences in vaginal cytokine levels between postmenopausal women with and without vulvovaginal irritative symptoms (itching, burning, or pain). METHODS Postmenopausal women (n = 34) not using hormone therapy and presenting with or without symptoms of vulvovaginal irritation were asked to volunteer for this stud...

OBJECTIVES To assess the effect of microablative fractional CO2 laser (MFCO2-Laser) therapy on the vaginal microenvironment of postmenopausal women. METHODS Three laser therapies at monthly intervals were applied in postmenopausal women with moderate to severe symptoms of genitourinary syndrome of menopause, pH of vaginal fluid >4.5 and superficial epithelial cells on vaginal smear <5%. Vagin...

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE In India, National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) introduced syndromic approach to treat patients with abnormal vaginal discharge without a need for laboratory tests. Simple tools like pH test and Whiff test can be done without high expertise, microscope and even speculum. This can improve diagnostic value of syndromic approach of abnormal vaginal discharge. The present...

BACKGROUND In this study, a pH and temperature dual-sensitive liposome gel based on a novel cleavable hydrazone-based pH-sensitive methoxy polyethylene glycol 2000-hydrazone-cholesteryl hemisuccinate (mPEG-Hz-CHEMS) polymer was used for vaginal administration. METHODS The pH-sensitive, cleavable mPEG-Hz-CHEMS was designed as a modified pH-sensitive liposome that would selectively degrade unde...

Lactic acid at sufficiently acidic pH is a potent microbicide, and lactic acid produced by vaginal lactobacilli may help protect against reproductive tract infections. However, previous observations likely underestimated healthy vaginal acidity and total lactate concentration since they failed to exclude women without a lactobacillus-dominated vaginal microbiota, and also did not account for th...

OBJECTIVE To determine the concordance between vaginal fluid Gram stains and pH obtained at speculum exam with similar stains and pH prepared from self-obtained vaginal swabs. METHODS Using vaginal fluid Gram stain, 129 pregnant women were screened for bacterial vaginosis at 24 to 29 weeks' gestation. Two smears were collected from each woman during the same prenatal visit: the first was prep...

Physiological cervicovaginal acidity can partly inactivate human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Basic semen components should be able to partially neutralize in vivo cervicovaginal pH. The goals of the study were to evaluate the relationship between cervicovaginal pH and presence of semen components in sexually active African women and to assess whether vaginal douching with water performed just...