The Penis, the Vagina and HIV Risk: Key Differences (Aside from the Obvious)

Abstract

Globally, most Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV) transmission occurs through vaginal-penile sex (heterosexual transmission). The local immune environment at the site of HIV exposure is an important determinant of whether exposure during sex will lead to productive infection, and the vaginal and penile immune milieus are each critically shaped by the local microbiome. However, there are key differences in the microbial drivers of inflammation and immune quiescence at these tissue sites. In both, a high abundance of anaerobic taxa (e.g., Prevotella) is associated with an increased local density of HIV target cells and an increased risk of acquiring HIV through sex. However, the taxa that have been associated to date with increased risk in the vagina and penis are not identical. Just as importantly, the microbiota associated with comparatively less inflammation and HIV risk-i.e., the optimal microbiota-are very different at the two sites. In the vagina, Lactobacillus spp. are immunoregulatory and may protect against HIV acquisition, whereas on the penis, "skin type" flora such as Corynebacterium are associated with reduced inflammation. Compared to its vaginal counterpart, much less is known about the dynamics of the penile microbiome, the ability of clinical interventions to alter the penile microbiome, or the impact of natural/induced microbiome alterations on penile immunology and HIV risk.

Keywords: HIV; foreskin; genital immunology; microbiota; penis; vagina.

Figure 1

Proportional abundances of the 18 most prevalent taxa on the coronal sulcus of the uncircumcised penis (n = 260 [119]) and in the vagina (n = 60 [147]) of Rakai Cohort participants. Participants of each sex are ordered based on the abundance of the most prevalent taxa at that site: Prevotella on the coronal sulcus and Lactobacillus in the vagina.

Figure 2

Bacterial genera whose abundance on the penis (left) and vagina (right) is associated with either increased (top Venn diagram) or decreased (bottom) HIV acquisition.