Vaginal Microbiota and HPV in Latin America: A Narrative Review

TL;DR

This review explores how the vaginal microbiome influences health, focusing on HPV infections and cervical cancer in Latin America.

Contribution

The paper provides a narrative review of the vaginal microbiota's role in HPV-related cervical cancer in Latin America.

Findings

The vaginal microbiota's low diversity helps protect against infections.

Native bacteria can either protect women or contribute to inflammation.

HPV infections are a major concern in Latin America due to high cervical cancer rates.

Abstract

With the expansion of human microbiome studies in the last 15 years, we have realized the immense implications of microbes in human health. The human holobiont is now accepted, given the commensal relationships with bacteria, fungi, parasites, viruses, and human cells. The cervicovaginal microbiota is a specific case within the human microbiome where diversity is lower to maintain a chemical barrier of protection against infections. This narrative review focuses on the vaginal microbiome. It summarizes key findings on how native bacteria protect women from disease or predispose them to damaging inflammatory processes with an emphasis on the role of HPV infections in Latin America, one of the world’s regions with the highest cervical cancer prevalence.