About this Research Topic

Background

Background

Overall women's reproductive health is largely linked to inflammatory events that occur during a woman's lifetime. These include infections and cancers, but also natural reproductive events and influences such as menstruation, hormones, pregnancy and labour, the microbiome, sexual activity and even menopause. Normal reproductive function involves strict regulation of these pathways to re-establish homeostasis after reproductive events or repair from diseases and infection. Recent literature has indicated that without proper resolution of inflammation, but rather a maintenance of inflammatory pathways, is a key factor in numerous pathologies such as pelvic inflammatory diseases, cancers, increased risk of acquiring STIs or experiencing pre-term birth. This journal issue will address the current studies on how inflammation plays a role in women's reproductive health and disease.



Goal

We would like to address how inflammation can affect a woman's overall reproductive health, reproductive success, and risk of health issues (cancers, diseases, infections), and what influences the inflammatory state of the FGT (influenced by internal factors such as micro/mycobiome, infections and other variables) has on the outcome of these pathologies. We would like to show the most current application of knowledge on inflammation in the FGT and how this knowledge may be translated for better treatment options.



Scope

Different aspects (review or data manuscripts) of inflammatory events that occur in the female genital tract:

• Section on STIs (HIV, chlamydia, etc)

• Section on cancers (endothelial, cervical/HPV, ovarian)

• Section on menstruation/ovulation, hormonal influences on inflammation

• Sexual intercourse (protected, unprotected), seminal exposure

• Microbiome/mycobiome (BV, lactobacillus, bacterial functions, yeast infections)

• Pregnancy (labour induction using inflammatory pathways, pre-term birth, miscarriages, ecotopic pregnancy caused by chronic inflammation, IVF success)

• post-pregnancy

• Contraceptive use (oral, IUDs - hormonal and copper, Depo injections, implants, rings, etc)

• Age (Adolescents, Adults, Menopause, peri-menopause, post-menopause).

Keywords: FGT, Inflammation, Immune response, STIs, HPV, Hormones, Pregnancy, Ectopic pregnancy, Microbiome

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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