This is 2017 and vagina-focused products are a thing. For real.

Here’s why - you see, everyone's vagina has a unique pH that's influenced by a bunch of factors, like your diet, period, and how often you're having sex. For some women it may be helpful (on doctor’s orders) to use probiotics to get your pH a little more balanced.

As with your gut, your vaginal microflora need to be in equilibrium for good health. Why? As researcher Dr Rebecca Brotman explains, having healthy vaginal bacteria means less smell, irritation, or discharge, and also means protection against issues like bacterial vaginosis (a common vaginal infection), UTIs, and even HIV. Right then.

But what exactly are vaginal probiotics, and should you be taking them? We asked Blackmores naturopath Rebekah Russell for an explainer.

How do microbiota influence women's health?

The microscopic cosmos of bacteria that lives within us naturally is better known as the microbiota, or microbiome. Our microbiome is made up of 100 trillion microorganisms that influence our health. Our bodies are like a ‘super-organism’ made up of trillions of symbiotic microorganisms. Balancing these microbes is essential for good physical and psychological wellbeing. We are now discovering an intricate link between microbiome and metabolism and even brain function and mood. For women, in particular, we are understanding the microbiome’s role in conditions such as bacterial vaginosis (BV) and vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC). Healthy vaginal microbiota is dominated by good bacteria (lactobacillus species). However, any changes to the flora via bacteria or yeasts results in BV and/or VVC.

What are the symptoms something is out of whack?

BV affects 20 per cent of women of reproductive age. While the condition can be mostly mild and asymptomatic, it’s associated with vaginal discharge, poor pregnancy outcomes, pelvic inflammatory disease, post-operative wound infections and endometriosis following elective abortions. VVC is the second most common cause of vaginitis, after BV, affecting about 40 per cent of women with vaginal complaints. If you believe you may be experiencing these conditions I encourage you to see your healthcare practitioner.

How can probiotics help down there?

Probiotics contain strains of healthy bacteria that may assist in creating an optimal balance for the microbiome. The vagina possesses its own unique microbiome, therefore an imbalance in probiotic species could result in health conditions specific to the female reproductive system. Supplementation with specific probiotic species may be beneficial for treating conditions such as candidiasis (thrush) and protection against vaginal flora imbalances.

Does everyone need them?

The best thing you can do is speak with your healthcare practitioner to discuss any need or benefit of taking probiotics.

Will your regular probiotic do or does it need to be specifically formulated?

There are probiotics that are specially formulated with particular strains of probiotics that have been found to be beneficial to certain conditions such as eczema, medically diagnosed irritable bowel syndrome, and help to promote and balance vaginal flora.

What are other supplement-free ways to keep the good bacteria happy?

Consuming foods that are rich in prebiotics ensure that the probiotics have sufficient food to encourage their growth and continued colonisation. Vegetables such as garlic, onions and leeks contain what are called ‘prebiotic fructans.’ Other sources include bananas and raw asparagus. The new trend of consuming fermented food such as kimchi, sauerkraut, miso, kombucha and kefir are all delicious and easy ways to include foods that are naturally rich in probiotics. You can also consume yoghurt, tempeh and apple cider vinegar.

Rebekah Russell is a degree-qualified naturopath with over 10 years significant experience in the complementary therapies industry. Rebekah is an Advisory Naturopath at Blackmores, and also works in clinic on Sydney’s northern beaches as part of a team with integrative doctors and other allied health professionals.