India, Oct. 1 -- image credit- freepik

Your study is among the first to comprehensively map the cervical microbiome and inflammatory milieu in apparently healthy Indian women. What makes these findings particularly significant in the Indian healthcare and research context?

Dr Deepti Tandon: Microbial composition varies across populations, and the microbiota of different anatomical sites of the female genital tract, although related, are not necessarily identical. Much of the available research has focused on the vaginal or cervicovaginal microbiome, while the cervical microbiome, particularly in apparently healthy Indian women, remains relatively underexplored.

Our study specifically looked at the cervical microbiome along with the loc...