Studies employing 16S rRNA sequencing to evaluate the cervicovaginal microbiota suggest that high-intensity urinary S. haematobium infection, in the absence of investigation for genital involvement, may alter cervicovaginal microbiota diversity. In addition, studies reporting qPCR-defined FGS have either not investigated or reported STI prevalence or STI prevalence has been correlated with visual FGS findings. In this cross-sectional study we utilized qPCR to detect Schistosoma DNA in the female genital tract and evaluated the association of PCR-defined FGS with the concentration and presence of key markers of the cervicovaginal microbiota, including STI. The cross-sectional bilharzia and HIV (BILHIV) study was nested in HPTN 071 (PopART), a cluster randomized trial to measure the impact of an HIV-1 combination prevention package. In HPTN 071 (PopART), HIV-1 incidence was measured in a Population Cohort at baseline, 12, 24, and 36 months. Between January and August 2018, after the 36-month HPTN 071 (PopART) visit, community workers made home visits to women expressing interest in the BILHIV study. Eligible women were 18-31 years, not pregnant, sexually active, and resident in one of two urban communities that participated in HPTN 071 (PopART) in Livingstone, Zambia.

Female Genital Schistosomiasis, Schistosoma haematobium, cervicovaginal microbiota, Sexually Transmitted Infections