About the Study

How does clothing breathability affect vaginal microbes?

There is much "conventional wisdom" regarding the adverse effects of wearing tight clothing and non-breathable undergarments too often; however, a controlled scientific study has yet to be done to assess if non-breathable undergarments and clothing adversely affect the microbiome.

A healthy vaginal microbiome is important because bacterial vaginosis (BV) and yeast infections can commonly arise when the microbiome is thrown off. These conditions are not only uncomfortable, but BV especially is correlated with higher preterm birth and less protection against STDs. However, little is known about the reasons BV or an overgrowth of fungi (yeast infections) can develop. One possible way the microbiome could be affected is through a change in temperature, humidity and acidity due to clothing choice, which we plan to gain insight into through this study.

We would like to compare the effects of breathable and non-breathable clothing/undergarments on the vaginal microbiome and mycobiome (fungi), and use the data gathered to look at interactions between bacteria and fungi (e.g. Candida).

Videos

This study is made possible by the inaugural CMIT-HST Clinical Study Award.