Transmission

Couples and Microbial Diversity (CLARITY) - study is a prospective study that investigates the risks and dynamics of different microbes and transmission among couples to optimize the prevention and control strategies as well as improvement for infertility treatments. The study will be conducted at the Infertility Clinic of Tampere University Hospital, Tampere Finland; and will recruit 200 couples undergoing infertility investigations and treatments. Oral and genital tract samples will be collected at baseline and every six months during a two-year follow-up period. Background information will be obtained through a secure online questionnaire. Couples who achieve pregnancy will be followed according to the CLARITY protocol until delivery, after which families will transition to the CLARITY-Baby extension study. Samples from both the newborn and parents will be collected at delivery and again at six months postpartum, accompanied by an online follow-up questionnaire completed by the parents.

The goal of the Transmission of Oncogenic HPV Infection Among Families (TREVINO) study is to improve understanding of how high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are transmitted within families. The research focuses on transmission between sexual partners and between parents and children. It also examines how the various microbes may influence the persistence of HPV infections and the development of HPV-related cancers. The study will include up to 300 couples recruited from gynecology and ear, nose, and throat (ENT) clinics in Finland, as well as their children. Participants include individuals with persistent HPV infection, cervical precancer or cancer, or HPV-related head and neck cancer, along with their partners and potentially their offspring. Participants will provide self-collected samples from the oral and genital areas at multiple time points over up to five years. Questionnaires addressing medical, behavioural, and environmental factors will be completed. The study is conducted at Tampere University Hospital and Kuopio University Hospital in Finland. Results will inform HPV screening and prevention programs, improve understanding of family-level transmission, and identify potential microbial and genetic markers linked to cancer risk.