title: Bacterial communities in penile skin, male urethra, and vaginas of heterosexual couples with and without bacterial vaginosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The epidemiology of bacterial vaginosis (BV) suggests it is sexually transmissible, yet no transmissible agent has been identified. It is probable that BV-associated bacterial communities are transferred from male to female partners during intercourse; however, the microbiota of sexual partners has not been well-studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pyrosequencing analysis of PCR-amplified 16S rDNA was used to examine BV-associated bacteria in monogamous couples with and without BV using vaginal, male urethral, and penile skin specimens. The penile skin and urethral microbiota of male partners of women with BV was significantly more similar to the vaginal microbiota of their female partner compared to the vaginal microbiota of non-partner women with BV. This was not the case for male partners of women with normal vaginal microbiota. Specific BV-associated species were concordant in women with BV and their male partners.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In monogamous heterosexual couples in which the woman has BV, the significantly higher similarity between the vaginal microbiota and the penile skin and urethral microbiota of the male partner, supports the hypothesis that sexual exchange of BV-associated bacterial taxa is common.
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital of New Orleans, 200 Henry Clay Ave., New Orleans, LA, 70118, USA. hinchliffe_mz@jpso.com.
authors.forename: Marcela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zozaya
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital of New Orleans, 200 Henry Clay Ave., New Orleans, LA, 70118, USA.|Department of Pediatrics, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, 1901 Perdido St., New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ferris
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, 1542 Tulane Ave., New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA.
authors.forename: Julia D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Siren
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, 1542 Tulane Ave., New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lillis
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, 1440 Canal St., New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA.
authors.forename: Leann
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Myers
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, 1542 Tulane Ave., New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA.
authors.forename: M Jacques
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Nsuami
authors.affiliation: Marine Biological Laboratory, JBPC, 7 MBL St., Woods Hole, MA, 02543, USA.
authors.forename: A Murat
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Eren
authors.affiliation: Rally Software, 3333 Walnut St., Boulder, CO, 80301, USA.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology Immunology and Parasitology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, 1901 Perdido St., New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, 1542 Tulane Ave., New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA. dhmartin@lsuhsc.edu.|Department of Microbiology Immunology and Parasitology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, 1901 Perdido St., New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA. dhmartin@lsuhsc.edu.
authors.forename: David H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Martin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D052816:Foreskin / Q000382:microbiology; D020010:Heterosexuality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D054892:Metagenome / Q000235:genetics*; D064307:Microbiota / Q000235:genetics*; D010413:Penis / Q000382:microbiology*; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012747:Sexual Partners; D014521:Urethra / Q000382:microbiology*; D014621:Vagina / Q000382:microbiology*; D016585:Vaginosis, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
keywords: Bacterial vaginosis; Microbiome; Penile skin; Sexual transmission; Urethra; Vagina