Lactobacilli help to keep the vagina healthy by producing lactic acid, hydrogen peroxide, and other substances that inhibit the growth of yeast and other unwanted organisms. They maintain the vagina at a healthy pH of around 4.
This mildly acidic environment helps protect against infection. So do the other substances they produce. These bacteria are an important part of a healthy vaginal ecosystem.
Why Vaginal Flora Is Important
A hallmark of bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the disruption of this normal vaginal flora and a loss of lactobacilli. This can not only be unpleasant in and of itself. It can also leave a woman more susceptible to HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.
Bacterial vaginosis is actually caused by an overgrowth of bacteria that normally exist at low levels in the vagina. When the lactobacillus population is disrupted, these bacteria take over.
The bacteria associated with BV make a number of volatile amines. These chemicals are what cause the distinctive odor associated with BV. This odor tends to be stronger after sex, particularly unprotected sex, because the amines become smellier at the higher pH associated with semen.
However, despite the association, BV is not caused by sperm. In fact, the greatest evidence for sexual transmission of bacterial vaginosis is in lesbians.
Restoring Healthy Vaginal Flora
One of the difficulties in treating BV and related conditions, such as yeast infections, is figuring out how to restore the normal vaginal flora. Sometimes the bacterial populations return to normal proportions after treatment. Other times they don’t.
In order to help restore a lactobacillus-dominated flora, a number of researchers are looking at probiotic pills and suppositories. These treatments would contain lactobacillus species.
The hope is that those bacteria would grow and recolonize the vagina. To date, results have been somewhat positive, if preliminary. Still, if they’re borne out, probiotics may be a new way to improve vaginal health and restore healthy vaginal flora.
