USE OF PROBIOTICS FOR BACTERIAL VAGINOSIS ASSOCIATED WITH INFERTILITY AND PRETERM BIRTH”: A REVIEW ARTICLE

Aishwarya Acharya* and Niharika G. S.

ABSTRACT

Infertility and preterm births (PTB) are global health concerns. According to World Health Organization (WHO), 15% of reproductive-aged couples worldwide are suffering from infertility.186 million ever-married women seek to have a child believing it to be the only ray of hope in their lives. WHO also states that approximately 1 million children die every year due to complications of preterm birth. One of the reasons for infertility and preterm birth resonates with Bacterial Vaginosis (BV). Treating BV at the earliest is essential in preventing its associated reproductive problems. To date, our understanding of the mechanism and treatment of BV remains scarce. Approved treatment for BV involves antibiotics which are associated with several side effects. In a quest to find an alternate, probiotics are under research and found effective against BV. Probiotics are not approved as a drug for BV even after sufficient research. The question of why probiotics have not been adopted universally is hence crucial to understand. This review summarizes the effect of bacterial vaginosis on infertility and preterm birth and their treatment with probiotics.

Keywords: Probiotics, Bacterial Vaginosis, Infertility, Preterm Birth, Dysbiosis, Recurrent Bacterial Vaginosis.