The female intimate skin microbiome

The Isala citizen-science project addresses this gap by investigating the vaginal and female skin microbiomes. Initially, 3,345 women completed surveys and provided vaginal swabs via self-sampling??. A subset of 293 participants, selected based on hormone intake, sexual activity, and contraceptive use, continued to a second phase. Over two menstrual cycles, they self-collected six vaginal swabs. During the luteal phase of the first cycle, they also provided saliva?? and skin swabs from the mouth area, breasts, and groin. This study focuses on these intimate body sites, offering necessary data on the female skin microbiome. We aim to reveal insights into Lactobacilli dispersal across the female body using multiple samples per individual and extensive metadata on hygiene and sexual activity.