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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Reprod. Health
Sec. Gynecology
Volume 6 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/frph.2024.1446809

Knowledge and perceptions of blood donors of the Western Cape Blood Services, South Africa, toward vaginal sample donation for biobanking

Provisionally accepted
Shantelle Claassen-Weitz Shantelle Claassen-Weitz 1Brian Kullin Brian Kullin 1Elloise Du Toit Elloise Du Toit 1*Sugnet Gardner-Lubbe Sugnet Gardner-Lubbe 2Jo-Ann S Passmore Jo-Ann S Passmore 1Heather Beryl Jaspan Heather Beryl Jaspan 1Anna-Ursula Happel Anna-Ursula Happel 1Greg Bellairs Greg Bellairs 3Caroline Hilton Caroline Hilton 3Anika Chicken Anika Chicken 1Kirsten Welp Kirsten Welp 1Hannah Livingstone Hannah Livingstone 1Adrian Brink Adrian Brink 1
  • 1 University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
  • 2 Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa
  • 3 Western Cape Blood Services, Cape Town, South Africa

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Depletion of Lactobacillus species and an overgrowth of anaerobes in the vaginal tract [bacterial vaginosis (BV)], is associated with non-optimal reproductive health outcomes, and increased susceptibility to sexually transmitted infections (STIs). BV is currently treated with antibiotics, although these provide suboptimal cure levels and high recurrence rates. Vaginal microbiota transplantation (VMT), the transfer of vaginal fluid from healthy donors with an optimal vaginal microbiota to a recipient with BV, has been proposed as an alternative treatment strategy. Here, we investigated knowledge and perceptions of blood donors to the concept of an optimal vaginal microbiome and VMT via the Western Cape Blood Service (WCBS) clinics in Cape Town, South Africa, by a self-administered questionnaire. Analysis of responses from 106 eligible women showed that 86% (91/106) would consider donating samples. Responses significantly associated with willingness to donate vaginal samples included: 1) belief that helping others outweighs the inconvenience of donating vaginal sample (p=1.093e -05 ) and 2) prior knowledge of the concept of a healthy vaginal microbiome (p=0.001). Most potential donors (59/91; 65%) were willing to receive a VMT themselves if needed. Participants who were unwilling to donate vaginal samples (15/106; 14%) indicated that vaginal sample collection would be unpleasant and/or embarrassing. The benefits of a collaboration with WCBS for this project include the naturally altruistic nature of blood donors, the constant in-flow of donors to WCBS clinics, and the infrastructure and logistical aspects in place. Data from this observational study highlight factors affecting the willingness of blood donors to become vaginal sample donors.

    Keywords: Blood Donors, microbiome, Vaginal, vaginal donors, vaginal microbiota transplant

    Received: 12 Jun 2024; Accepted: 30 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Claassen-Weitz, Kullin, Du Toit, Gardner-Lubbe, Passmore, Jaspan, Happel, Bellairs, Hilton, Chicken, Welp, Livingstone and Brink. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Elloise Du Toit, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.