Footnotes

• Contributors NC designed the experiment. TC, JC and PA have performed the growth isolation and identification of bacteria. All the authors performed data interpretation, drafted the article and approved the final version. Vaginal samples were obtained from volunteers that signed an informed consent form approved by Institutional Review Board (SECVS).

• Funding Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT).

• Competing interests None.

• Ethics approval Institutional Review Board (SECVS).

• Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; internally peer reviewed.