A culture performed on a vaginal specimen collected from a 60-year-old woman would likely grow primarily

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Various species of commensal bacteria colonize the lining of the normal human genital tract, causing no harm to the host except under abnormal circumstances and helping to prevent the adherence of pathogenic organisms. The flora of the female genital tract varies with the pH and estrogen concentration of the mucosa, which depends on the host's age. Prepubescent and postmenopausal women harbor primarily staphylococci and corynebacteria (the same flora present on surface epithelium), whereas women of reproductive age may harbor large numbers of facultative bacteria such as Enterobacteriaceae, streptococci, and staphylococci, as well as anaerobes such as lactobacilli, anaerobic non-spore-forming bacilli and cocci, and clostridia. Although yeasts (acquired from the gastrointestinal tract) may be transiently recovered from the female vaginal tract, they are not considered normal flora.

A Culture Performed on a Vaginal Specimen Collected from a 60-Year-Old