Comparison of The Vaginal Microflora in Relation to The Menopausal Status

Abstract

Article information Background: Numerous bacteria live in the human vagina; because of this, it has been discovered that the vaginal microbiome is directly related to both vaginal and overall health. Aim of the work: In this study, we sought to evaluate the vaginal microbiomes of premenopausal and post-menopausal women. Patients and Methods: This was a comparative cross section study, was carried out on 120 patients who divided in to two groups as regard menopausal state in to Group A: 60 women in Premenopausal group and Group B: 60 women in Post-Menopausal group, vaginal samples were obtained from all studied women. Results: As regard bacterial distribution according to Phylum; there was a significant difference between two groups regarding Firmicutes and Proteobacteria which were higher among premenopausal women. Conclusion: Women in each study group had different vaginal ecosystems in terms of the relative quantity and composition of the dominating bacterial species. While species diversity greatly increased in postmenopausal women, species richness significantly declined. After menopause, the most significant difference between the two groups was caused by a decline in Lactobacillus taxa, which are represented by all taxon ranks of the vaginal microbiome.