Yogurt to Cure Yeast Infections

QUESTION: My girlfriend, who is most knowledgeable about such matters, swears
this is no joke and that it really works. She suffers, as do I and I suppose
many other women, from frequent yeast infections of the vagina. Her cure is
to use cultured, but not pasteurized, plain yogurt in a large syringe, which
is used to put the yogurt in her vagina. She does this once a day for three
to four days, and claims it never fails to cure the yeast infection. Do you
believe this is possible?
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ANSWER: Vulval irritation and vaginal discharge is indeed common in women,
and when caused by a yeast, is named genital candidiasis or monoliasis. It is
noted most commonly in individuals who have take antibiotics for one infection
or another. The medication kills not only the unwanted infection, but also
the bacteria that normally inhabit the vagina. With the extinction of these
harmless bacteria, the yeasts, which also live in this area, begin to
reproduce in an uncontrolled fashion, and soon provoke a vaginitis. Other
contributing factors may be oral contraceptives, diabetes mellitus, pregnancy,
menstruation, steroid medications, and constrictive undergarments. If these
situations can be controlled, yeast vaginitis may be prevented. The yogurt
theory is based upon the fact that yogurt is produced by another harmless
germ, a lactobacillus, and that if this bacteria can be introduced into the
vagina, it might grow and control the over production of yeasts. While it may
sound like a simple solution to a common problem, I failed to find any real
scientific evidence to prove its effectiveness, and so feel unable to
recommend it to you. At any rate, any flavored or pasteurized yogurt
preparations would certainly be a no-no, as they usually contain no useful
living bacteria.