Seminovaginal microbiome: it takes two to tango

Abstract

Infertility, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and genital infections are conditions that can affect any couple in the global population. The reproductive tract microbiome appears to play a crucial role in the physiology of both the female and male reproductive tracts. Despite the presence of thousands of microbes in body fluids shared during unprotected sexual intercourse, they have traditionally been studied separately, with greater emphasis on the female (mostly vaginal) microbiome. Consequently, the concept of “seminovaginal microbiome” emerges to address both microbial niches as a whole that would provide more detailed understanding and potential solutions to the reproductive success. This systematic review discusses the state-of-the-art of the complementary microbiome, encompassing its diversity and composition, and how it is linked to the couples’ health and disease, the success of assisted reproductive techniques and pregnancy, and the occurrence of microbe-associated diseases such as sexually transmitted diseases, prostatitis, bacterial vaginosis, and candidiasis. Additionally, the microbial interplay in homosexual couples and transsexual individuals is discussed.