Influence of the vaginal microbiome on cervical cell metabolism during chlamydial infection

The purpose of this study is to understand if specific vaginal microbes (part of the microbiome), and their metabolites (that is, their byproducts) in women who have Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) and in women who do not have BV increase the risk for being infected with chlamydia. Information that we learn from this study may help develop future treatments and prevent chlamydia reinfections. To do this, this research study will characterize the metabolome (the metabolome is the collection of small molecules or compounds that are present in the specimens that we will collect) and active metabolic pathways in both the vagina and cervix and the associated microbiome in women with and without BV that do or do not have chlamydia.