We are seeking Australian women with Recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (recurrent thrush) who haven’t menopaused and can supply a one-off vaginal swab and a faecal sample for microbiome assessment. The study will help us understand the impact of oral therapies for thrush (fluconazole) on the vaginal and gastrointestinal microbiome.

What would I be asked to do? How much time would it take?

Following an eligibility phone screen (15 minutes) you will be asked to attend a one-off 30 minutes study entry tele-appointment to go through questions relating to demographics, health history and lifestyle. During this appointment, we also ensure you are comfortable with the self-sample collection procedure.

Following the tele-appointment, you will be required to self-collect a vaginal swab and faecal sample for microbiome analysis on a specified sample collection day. On that day you will also self-collect a vaginal pH measurement and answer some survey questions.

What’s in it for me?

This research may help understand why women suffer from RVVC, how current RVVC treatment affects the vaginal and gastrointestinal microbiomes and what other treatment strategies may be possible for RVVC. As a participant, you will be able to discuss your specific circumstances with the research team at the study entry appointment, and we will be able to report back to you on your vaginal pH and its role in vaginal health. Final study results will reveal trends in the microbiome load and diversity and will be reported back to you upon publication. You will also receive a copy of your microbiome results once all study samples are processed and analysed. You can discuss them with your healthcare practitioner. You will be reimbursed for your time provided for both the study entry tele-appointment and sample collection with a $60 Gift Card).


How can I volunteer or find out more?
Please contact Moira Bradfield Strydom on 0400838586 or Email: [email protected]  

Griffith Clinical Trial Unit current trials – https://www.griffith.edu.au/griffith-health/clinical-trial-unit/trials

Research Element- School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences– Gold Coast Campus. 

Student Type –Moira Bradfield Strydom PhD Candidate

Ethics Clearance number- GU Ref No: 2021/674