Skip to main content
About the Institute
  • English
  • Français
  • Español
  • Russian
  • Portuguese
  • Polish

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. My microbiota as a woman
  3. Are men involved in bacterial vaginosis?
  • Learn all about microbiota
    • The gut microbiota
    • The ENT microbiota
    • The pulmonary microbiota
    • The urinary microbiota
    • The skin microbiota
    • The vaginal microbiota
  • Microbiota and related conditions
    • Digestive disorders
    • Women disorders
    • Metabolic disorders
    • Skin disorders
    • Pediatric disorders
    • Psychiatric disorders
    • Neurological disorders
    • Respiratory disorders
    • Urinary disorders
  • Act on your microbiota
    • Probiotics
    • Prebiotics
    • Fecal Microbiota Transplant
    • Diet
  • Publications
    • News
    • Thematics folders
    • Thematic pages
    • Microbiota Q & A
    • Patients Stories
    • Experts' point of view
  • About the Institute
    • About us
    • International Microbiota Observatory
    • Press room
    • Partnerships

    Join the microbiota community

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
    • Bluesky

Healthcare professionals section

Find here your dedicated section
Biocodex logo
The power of your gut
My microbiota as a woman
Our marvelous microbiota

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. My microbiota as a woman
  3. Are men involved in bacterial vaginosis?
My microbiota as a woman

Are men involved in bacterial vaginosis?

Vaginosis
The vaginal microbiota Bacterial vaginosis - vaginal microbiota imbalance

Bacterial vaginosis, linked to an imbalance in the vaginal microbiota, may be caused by bacteria present in the penile microbiota of some men and transmitted during sexual intercourse.

The power of your gut
My microbiota as a woman
Our marvelous microbiota
  • Learn all about microbiota
    • The gut microbiota
    • The ENT microbiota
    • The pulmonary microbiota
    • The urinary microbiota
    • The skin microbiota
    • The vaginal microbiota
  • Microbiota and related conditions
    • Digestive disorders
    • Women disorders
    • Metabolic disorders
    • Skin disorders
    • Pediatric disorders
    • Psychiatric disorders
    • Neurological disorders
    • Respiratory disorders
    • Urinary disorders
  • Act on your microbiota
    • Probiotics
    • Prebiotics
    • Fecal Microbiota Transplant
    • Diet
  • Publications
    • News
    • Thematics folders
    • Thematic pages
    • Microbiota Q & A
    • Patients Stories
    • Experts' point of view
  • About the Institute
    • About us
    • International Microbiota Observatory
    • Press room
    • Partnerships

    Join the microbiota community

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
    • Bluesky

Healthcare professionals section

Find here your dedicated section
Biocodex logo

Sources

This article is based on scientific information

Sharing is caring

Your friends might be interested in this topic. Why not share it?

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
Actu GP : Vaginose bactérienne : les hommes seraient-ils impliqués ?

About this article

Created 24 November 2020
Updated 31 March 2025

35% Only 1 in 3 women know that bacterial vaginosis is associated with an imbalance in the vaginal microbiota

Learn more:
What women know (and don't know) about their vaginal microbiota

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a highly common infection. Often displaying few symptoms, the disease can have serious consequences, increasing the risk of sexually transmitted infections (including HIV) and complications during pregnancy (preterm delivery, preterm labor, and late miscarriage). Treatment with long-term efficacy is lacking and BV recurs in up to 50% of women at 6–12 months following treatment.

Bacteria nesting under the foreskin

Do some men play a role, via their penile microbiota, in the development of BV in their partner? Numerous studies support this hypothesis, including those showing a lower frequency of BV (-40%) in women who have sex with (sidenote: Gray, R. H., Kigozi, G., Serwadda, et al. The effects of male circumcision on female partners’ genital tract symptoms and vaginal infections in a randomized trial in Rakai, Uganda. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2009 Jan;200(1):42.e1-7. ) . As the skin covered by the foreskin is particularly rich in bacteria associated with bacterial vaginosis, certain scientists believe circumcision to be a prevention factor.

The same species are found in penile and vaginal microbiota

A team of researchers followed 168 heterosexual couples, where the female partner was free of infection at the outset of the study. After one year of follow-up, nearly one in three women had developed bacterial vaginosis. According to the analyses, BV occurrence seemed to be directly related to the composition of the penile microbiota. The authors identified seven bacterial species whose presence accurately predicted the occurrence of bacterial vaginosis. Several of these species were also found in the vaginal microbiota of infected women.

Treat men to protect women?

These results led the researchers to put forward two hypotheses: either bacteria from the penile microbiota are transmitted directly during sexual intercourse, or they disrupt the vaginal flora and cause infection over the long term. In either scenario, the researchers advocate the inclusion of male partners when treating infected women and suggest evaluating a treatment that, by modifying the microbiota of the penis, would prevent the occurrence or recurrence of bacterial vaginosis.

Recommended by our community

"True" - Prence Armstrong Armstrong (From My health, my microbiota)

Old sources

Sources:

Mehta SD, Zhao D, Green SJ et al. The Microbiome Composition of a Man's Penis Predicts Incident Bacterial Vaginosis in His Female Sex Partner With High Accuracy. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2020 Aug 4;10:433.

Tags
Dysbiosis Infection Penis Sexuality Sexually transmitted infection Vagina explore Vaginal infection Microbiome Flora

    See also

    Actu GP : La prévention des vaginoses bactériennes pourrait passer par l’assiette The prevention of bacterial vaginosis could depend on what you eat
    Actu GP : Endométriose : le microbiote vaginal comme outil prédictif de sévérité ? Can the vaginal microbiota be used as a tool for predicting the severity of endometriosis?
    Created 24 November 2020
    Updated 31 March 2025

    About this article

    To know more about this topic.

    Main topic

    Vaginosis

    Related microbiotas

    The vaginal microbiota

    Related topics

    Bacterial vaginosis - vaginal microbiota imbalance

    Continue reading

    News
    07.05.2025

    Downside of fruit and vegetable juices for gut health

    Read the article
    Allergies : et si tout venait du microbiote ?
    28.03.2023

    Allergies: and what if it all started with the microbiota?

    Read the article
    Photo LP: Sensibles à l’E466 ? Votre microbiote a son mot à dire
    15.04.2025

    Sensitive to E466? Your microbiota plays a role

    Read the article
    Periods & vaginal microbiota: Science in progress…
    11.01.2023

    Periods & vaginal microbiota: Science in progress…

    Read the article
    31.01.2025

    When bacteria signal the presence of endometriosis

    Read the article
    26.06.2024

    Links between vaginal microbiota and urinary incontinence?

    Read the article
    08.11.2024

    Pomegranate to the rescue of disrupted skin microbiota

    Read the article
    04.10.2024

    Menopause: unbalanced vaginal microbiota may promote inflammation

    Read the article
    • Learn all about microbiota
      • The gut microbiota
      • The ENT microbiota
      • The pulmonary microbiota
      • The urinary microbiota
      • The skin microbiota
      • The vaginal microbiota
    • Microbiota and related conditions
      • Digestive disorders
      • Women disorders
      • Metabolic disorders
      • Skin disorders
      • Pediatric disorders
      • Psychiatric disorders
      • Neurological disorders
      • Respiratory disorders
      • Urinary disorders
    • Act on your microbiota
      • Probiotics
      • Prebiotics
      • Fecal Microbiota Transplant
      • Diet
    • Publications
      • News
      • Thematics folders
      • Thematic pages
      • Microbiota Q & A
      • Patients Stories
      • Experts' point of view
    • About the Institute
      • About us
      • International Microbiota Observatory
      • Press room
      • Partnerships

      Join the microbiota community

      • Facebook
      • Twitter
      • LinkedIn
      • YouTube
      • Instagram
      • Bluesky

    Healthcare professionals section

    Find here your dedicated section
    Biocodex logo
    The power of your gut
    My microbiota as a woman
    Our marvelous microbiota
    • English
    • Français
    • Español
    • Russian
    • Portuguese
    • Polish

    Browse the site

    • Learn all about microbiota
      • The gut microbiota
      • The ENT microbiota
      • The pulmonary microbiota
      • The urinary microbiota
      • The skin microbiota
      • The vaginal microbiota
    • Microbiota and related conditions
      • Digestive disorders
      • Women disorders
      • Metabolic disorders
      • Skin disorders
      • Pediatric disorders
      • Psychiatric disorders
      • Neurological disorders
      • Respiratory disorders
      • Urinary disorders
    • Act on your microbiota
      • Probiotics
      • Prebiotics
      • Fecal Microbiota Transplant
      • Diet
    • Publications
      • News
      • Thematics folders
      • Thematic pages
      • Microbiota Q & A
      • Patients Stories
      • Experts' point of view
    • About the Institute
      • About us
      • International Microbiota Observatory
      • Press room
      • Partnerships

      Join the microbiota community

      • Facebook
      • Twitter
      • LinkedIn
      • YouTube
      • Instagram
      • Bluesky

    Healthcare professionals section

    Find here your dedicated section
    Biocodex logo

    Discover

    The power of your gut
    My microbiota as a woman
    Our marvelous microbiota

    Join the microbiota community

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
    • Bluesky

    Healthcare professionals section

    Find here your dedicated section

    Redirection

    You are about to be redirected and leave our website

    • Be redirected
    • Stay on the Biocodex Microbiota Institute's website

    Stay with us !

    Join the microbiota community and receive "The Essentials" once a month to stay up to date with the latest news on the microbiota.

    * Mandatory Fields

    BMI 20-35

    Explore

    13.05.2025

    When sodas harm your microbiota and your health

    Read the article
    07.05.2025

    Downside of fruit and vegetable juices for gut health

    Read the article
    Photo LP: Sensibles à l’E466 ? Votre microbiote a son mot à dire
    15.04.2025

    Sensitive to E466? Your microbiota plays a role

    Read the article

    Stay updated

    Join the Microbiota Community and receive once a month “The Essential” to stay up to date on the latest news about microbiota.

    * Mandatory Fields

    BMI 20-35

    • Learn all about microbiota
      • The gut microbiota
      • The ENT microbiota
      • The pulmonary microbiota
      • The urinary microbiota
      • The skin microbiota
      • The vaginal microbiota
    • Microbiota and related conditions
      • Digestive disorders
      • Women disorders
      • Metabolic disorders
      • Skin disorders
      • Pediatric disorders
      • Psychiatric disorders
      • Neurological disorders
      • Respiratory disorders
      • Urinary disorders
    • Act on your microbiota
      • Probiotics
      • Prebiotics
      • Fecal Microbiota Transplant
      • Diet
    • Publications
      • News
      • Thematics folders
      • Thematic pages
      • Microbiota Q & A
      • Patients Stories
      • Experts' point of view
    • About the Institute
      • About us
      • International Microbiota Observatory
      • Press room
      • Partnerships

      Join the microbiota community

      • Facebook
      • Twitter
      • LinkedIn
      • YouTube
      • Instagram
      • Bluesky

    Healthcare professionals section

    Find here your dedicated section
    Biocodex logo

    Discover

    The power of your gut
    My microbiota as a woman
    Our marvelous microbiota

    Healthcare professionals section

    Find here your dedicated section

    Join the microbiota community

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
    • Bluesky

    © 2025 Biocodex. All rights reserved.

    • Legal notice
    • GTU
    • Data protection policy
    • Sitemap
    • Cookies settings
    • Digital accessibility : partially compliant
    Biocodex logo