Carbon Source and Biofilm Formation: Implications for Bacterial Vaginosis Treatment Strategies | The Impact of Infertility Insurance Coverage on Women

Most women will run into issues related to their reproductive health at some point in their lives, ranging from menstrual issues to cancer. Treatment options are available, but is there a need for better treatment options for different diagnoses within women’s reproductive health? Specifically, bacterial vaginosis (BV) affects more women than any other vaginal infection, and recurrence rates remain high as there is not an effective treatment. BV causes uncomfortable side effects and can contribute to larger issues, such as infertility. In the United States, about 19% of women are affected by infertility. Infertility has a wide range of negative effects on women, including physical, emotional, social, and financial effects. Mechanisms that cause BV and infertility in women are widely unknown, making it difficult to treat these issues to begin with. This can be partially attributed to women being under-researched. The National Institutes of Health began funding clinical research in 1944, but it was not until 1991 that they required women to be included to receive funding. BV and infertility also cause huge financial burdens; BV costs about $4.8 billion globally each year, and one round of in vitro fertilization costs between $11,500 and $28,000. This paper aims to investigate the need for better treatment options for different diagnoses within women’s reproductive health.