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Cervical cancer morbidity and mortality are continually experienced by Native American women compared to white women. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection and can cause cervical cancer in women when HPV is not cleared by an individual. Depletion of Lactobacillus species in the vaginal microbiome (VMB) is linked to HPV acquisition and persistence of HPV infection and development/progression of cervical neoplasm. Most Lactobacillus spp. protect the host against invading pathogens of the genital mucosa, including the cervix. Changes in the VMB composition to dysbiotic anaerobes decrease an individual’s ability to clear HPV, increasing susceptibility to malignancy. Depletion of Lactobacilli is associated with race and ethnicity, despite research showing genetics to be statistically similar across ethnicities. However, there may be other factors that drive changes in …