Isala wants to break the taboo around vaginal health. That’s why all our research kits contain great conversation starters  (also online available). Use these cards as inspiration for interesting chats with friends and family, and find out how much there is to say about vaginal health.

You can also start a conversation online by clicking on a question and adding your response. You can do it anonymously – your first name is fine. The Isala researchers will answer your question. This way, we can increase knowledge about the female microbiome and break the taboo together. That’s our dream at Isala. Feel free to add comments and ask questions – let’s start the conversation together! 

A beautiful vitamin year through the eyes of an Isala PhD student 

The start of a new year naturally includes a quick look back. Many of my PhD dreams came true and made 2024 a really exciting and interesting year. As a PhD student, I got the chance to start and help run our brand-new vitamin study VIAB2L. And why did that feel so unique? Well, ever since my Master’s thesis, our vitamin B2-producing Isala bacterium has been central to my research. So it was the icing on the cake that this great bacterium would be taken by participants during my PhD research to study the benefits on women’s health. Indeed, our vitamin study started in 2024, and by now the first phase is already over. Days, weeks, months flew by, and I am happy to look back on this wonderful vitamin year and ahead to what is about to come 🙂 

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Harnessing Citizen Science for Women’s Health Research 

As interest in women’s health research grows, pressing gender data and health equity gaps remain and demand innovative solutions. Enter citizen science—a groundbreaking approach that invites the public to participate actively in scientific studies, thereby aligning research with the needs of society. This collaborative effort not only gathers vast amounts of data but also amplifies the voices of those often underrepresented in (medical) research. And this is exactly what I think various fields of research can benefit from!

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Everyone loves ‘selfies’: Cervical self-sampling swabs for cancer screening and the outdated Pap smear

The Pap smear used for cervical cancer screening was invented by a man, who knew? Cervical cancer is a deadly cancer around the world and over 90% of cases are caused by infection with certain types of the human papillomavirus (HPV). Thankfully we have an effective and safe vaccine against HPV available which can help curb infection rates. Even though we have this vaccine, HPV is still being transmitted and cervical cancer is unfortunately still developing, as described in Leila’s Isala blog. For over 100 years, the Pap smear has been used to detect abnormal cervical cells but there’s a new method for detection available. Continue reading to learn more! 🙂

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Bacteria in the vagina: Like mother, like daughter?

Have you ever wondered if a mother’s vaginal bacteria are important for her daughter’s vaginal health? At Isala, we were very eager to dive deeper into this question! For my master’s thesis, I explored the valuable treasure of Isala data. We selected mothers and daughters who participated together in the first research phase. We hope that these mother-daughter pairs will lead to many new insights into the vaginal microbiome—very exciting! Discover quickly what this has yielded so far! 🙂

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Help, my vagina is on fire! What is a vaginal yeast infection?

A burning sensation, itching, redness, swelling of the vagina or vulva… It sounds very unpleasant. And it certainly is! These are all uncomfortable symptoms that can accompany a vaginal infection. Most of the time, this type of infection is caused by an overgrowth of a specific yeast: Candida. This condition is commonly known as a vaginal yeast infection, or more scientifically, as “vulvovaginal candidiasis.” In the DeVEnIR study, we aim to further investigate this type of infection. How will we do this? Read on quickly!

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Project Underwire: Bras as Evidence in Cases of Sexual Violence?

Does the Isala team have an interesting route in mind to assist female victims of sexual violence? Absolutely! And are we starting by studying bacteria on bras!   
Even iconic characters from famous detective and police series couldn’t come up with this. However, we at Isala are convinced that bras can be a valuable source of information in the courtroom. And yes, bras are often collected as evidence during the physical examination after a rape, but unfortunately, they are not always fully utilized in the subsequent legal process. The Isala team hopes to change that. Keep reading! 🙂

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