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The vagina catalogues

Nature Medicine volume 17, pages 765–767 (2011)Cite this article

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A group of scientists and dedicated women are participating in rigorous research to uncover secrets of a less-high-profile part of the microbiome. The goal: to learn more about a vaginal disease that most people have never heard of but affects millions of women each year with potentially life-threatening consequences to their unborn children. Alison McCook reports on the unique challenges of developing treatments for a condition with a feminine mystique.

Heather (not her real name) was one of 160 healthy, reproductive-age women who took part in a study that asked much more of its participants than the typical research project. The cup in Heather's minibar freezer contained swabs she had collected from her vagina. Every morning for 10 weeks, she wiped the skin on the inside of her vagina using a sterile applicator with a tuft of fibers at the end, labeled and stored the specimens in the freezer, and answered several personal questions: Had she had sex that day? What kind of sex? Did she use lubricant? Had she worn a thong? Sometimes, sharing these intimate details gave her pause. “I'm thinking, 'who's going to read this?',” she says. “There are certain questions they asked that were very personal.”

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Affiliations

  1. Alison McCook is a science writer and editor in Philadelphia.

    Alison McCook

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  1. Alison McCook
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McCook, A. The vagina catalogues. Nat Med 17, 765–767 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm0711-765

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nm0711-765

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