Vaginal microflora: a determinant of women’s health and disease

Abstract

Candida albicans is an opportunistic fungi which grows asymptomatically on mucosal cells as a normal microflora but a disturbance in this microflora permits C. albicans to enter in to host cells resulting in several diseases such as oropharyngeal candidiasis and vaginal candidiasis (VC). Vaginal candidiasis often referred as vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is one of the most prevalent infection found in women of reproductive age infact 3 out of 4 women experience this episode once in their life time. A significant number of women are likely to experience the recurrent infection i.e. 3-4 episodes in a year (RVVC).1,2 In a survey it is found that in US women spend I million dollar on medication of VVC.3,4 VVC is a second most prevalent vaginal infection after bacterial vaginitis and is caused by a pathogenic fungus C. albicans. In VVC C. albicans is the most prevalent and dominant species playing a role to great extent and is associated with dysparaenuia, pruitis, itching, soreness and vaginal discharge. The major risk factors associated with vaginitis are high estrogen contraceptive use, antibiotic usage, harmone replacement therapy and uncontrolled diabetes mellitus.1–5