show Abstracthide AbstractGardnerella vaginalis is strongly associated with an imbalance in the vaginal microbiota called "Bacterial Vaginosis" (BV), which can lead to negative reproductive health outcomes such as pre-term birth and increased transmission of sexually transmitted infections. G. vaginalis, however, is also found in the vaginal microbiomes of women without symptoms of BV. The goal of the study is to identify the genomic differences that define four, previously described subgroups of Gardnerella vaginalis, which may account for its complicated association with vaginal symptoms.