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Characterization Of Innate Immunity In The Female Reproductive Tract For The Prevention Of Hiv Acquisition, Colleen Eade
Characterization Of Innate Immunity In The Female Reproductive Tract For The Prevention Of Hiv Acquisition, Colleen Eade
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infects 30 million people worldwide. In sub-Saharan Africa, the region most affected by HIV, women comprise 60% of the infected population. Heterosexual transmission is a major mode of viral acquisition, mandating further research of the process and prevention of HIV acquisition via the female reproductive tract (FRT). The FRT is a dynamic environment, protected by host immune mechanisms and commensal microbes. The disruption of either of these elements can increase susceptibility to HIV. Accordingly, one common risk factor for HIV acquisition is the microbial shift condition known as bacterial vaginosis (BV), which is characterized by the …