This review discusses the interactions of steroids with the gut and vaginal microbiomes within each life phase of adult women and the implications for women’s health. Each phase of a woman’s life is characterized by distinct hormonal states which drive overall physiology of both host and commensal microbes. These host–microbiome interactions underlie disease pathology in disorders that affect women across their lifetime, including bacterial vaginosis, gestational diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), anxiety, depression, and obesity. Although many associations between host health and microbiome composition are well defined, the mechanistic role of the microbiome in women’s health outcomes is largely unknown. This review addresses potential mechanisms by which the microbiota influences women’s health and highlights gaps in current knowledge.

这篇综述讨论了成年女性每个生命阶段中类固醇与肠道和阴道微生物组的相互作用以及对女性健康的影响。女性生命的每个阶段都有不同的荷尔蒙状态，这些荷尔蒙状态驱动宿主和共生微生物的整体生理机能。这些宿主与微生物组的相互作用是影响女性一生的疾病病理学的基础，这些疾病包括细菌性阴道病、妊娠糖尿病、多囊卵巢综合征（PCOS）、焦虑、抑郁和肥胖。尽管宿主健康与微生物组组成之间的许多关联已得到明确定义，但微生物组在女性健康结果中的机制作用在很大程度上尚不清楚。这篇综述探讨了微生物群影响女性健康的潜在机制，并强调了当前知识的差距。