Expression of IFN-epsilon in the Female Reproductive Tract

Exclusion Criteria

• •1. Use of any hormonal or intrauterine contraceptive method within 30 days of enrollment
• •2. Use of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) within 10 months of enrollment
• •3. Pregnancy or breastfeeding within 60 days of enrollment
• •4. Surgical procedure involving the pelvis in the 30 days prior to enrollment (includes dilation and curettage, cryosurgery and biopsy of the vagina, vulva, cervix, and endometrium)
• •5. Internal vaginal use of any device (includes sex toys, cervical caps, diaphragms, menstrual collection devices, and pessaries; excludes tampons and condoms) or product (includes spermicide, microbicide, douche, antifungal, steroid, or hormone) in the 30 days prior to enrolment (includes investigational products and devices)
• •6. New sexual partner within 90 days of enrollment
• •7. Urogenital infection or suspected infection within 30 days of enrollment including: symptomatic candidiasis, trichomonas vaginalis, and symptomatic bacterial vaginosis; or cervical infection, including N. gonorrhoea (GC), C. trachomatis (CT), or mucopurulent cervicitis; syphilis; herpes simplex virus (HSV) lesions, or other sores (Note: seropositive HSV without active lesions will not be excluded); acute pelvic inflammatory disease; urinary tract infection; recent exposure to a partner with GC, CT, Trichomonas, syphilis, or non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU)
• •8. Any history of immunosuppression (includes diabetes, HIV infection, and chronic steroid use or other immunosuppressive medications)
• •9. Antibiotic or antifungal therapy (vaginal or systemic) within 30 days of enrollment
• •10. Menses or other vaginal bleeding at the time of enrollment\* (\*Women who have vaginal bleeding at the scheduled enrollment visit may return at a different date to be re-examined and possibly enrolled provided they are still within the 90-day screening window and meet all criteria).
• •11. Vaginal or anal intercourse within 36 hours prior to enrollment
• •12. Heterosexual intercourse since last menses that places the participant at risk of pregnancy (without condom use or sterilization of at least one partner)
• •13. History of hysterectomy
• •14. History of malignancy within the pelvis (includes uterus, cervix, vagina, and vulva)
• •15. Any condition that, in the opinion of the Investigator, would preclude provision of consent, make participation in the study unsafe, complicate interpretation of study outcome data, or otherwise interfere with achieving the study objectives