Palavras-chave
Transgender Persons
Microbiota
Microbiome
Human
Como Citar
Resumo
The vaginal microbiota is a complex ecosystem, influenced by genetic, environmental, and hormonal factors. It is plausible that changes in the vaginal/neovaginal microbiota of transgender people have implications for their health. This review aims to characterize the vaginal microbiota of trans men using testosterone and the neovagina of trans women. This systematic narrative review was conducted in January 2025, in accordance with the PRISMA protocol. The search was conducted in PubMed, the Biblioteca Virtual de Saúde, Scopus, Periódicos CAPES, and the Scientific Electronic Library Online, using Health Sciences Descriptors and the Medical Subject Headings vocabulary. Studies involving cisgender populations or other populations were considered when comparing or contextualizing the findings. Results showed that the neovagina with penile/scrotal grafts may contain Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Lactobacillus, Staphylococcus, and Streptococcus. The sigmoid/rectal flap may contain Bacteroidaceae and Enterobacteriaceae. Trans men may harbor Atopobium, Prevotella, Gardnerella, and Lactobacillus. The use of estrogen, surgical technique, and graft origin may impact the neovaginal microbiota of trans women. The findings should be interpreted with caution due to the heterogeneity among populations, samples, and microbiological identification methods used in the included studies.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Narciso DiLorenzo Machado Dias, Jeferson Bastos Santos, Michelli Christina Magalhães Novais, Nilo Manoel Pereira Vieira Barreto