If you’re like most women, you’ve probably experienced at least one case of bacterial vaginosis (BV) in your life. If you haven’t, consider yourself extremely lucky. Bacterial vaginosis is no picnic, and its symptoms include an unpleasant fishy odor, as well as itching, burning, and maybe even a green or yellow discharge. Instead of holding your head in shame, there’s something you can do about it. You can try yogurt to help bacterial vaginosis. Now, I’m not talking about eating strawberry, peach, or banana yogurt with fruit on the bottom and hoping your bacterial vaginosis will mysteriously disappear. I’m talking about a special type of yogurt, the natural, unpasteurized kind, that you get in health food stores.

You’ll need to find plain yogurt that contains live lactobacillus acidophilus, an active culture typically found in health food stores and even some grocery stores. You see, lactobacillus will not only stop the growth of harmful bacteria, it will also help you restore the balance of healthy vaginal bacteria. Wow. Sounds like a miracle cure, doesn’t it?

To use this remedy to cure your BV, you have two options. You can eat at least 8 ounces of plain yogurt that contains lactobacillus acidophilus as part of a healthy diet, or (if you’re not pregnant and want to experience results even faster), you can put the yogurt directly inside your vagina at bedtime. This can be done by applying it directly to the vagina with an applicator or a small spoon. Be sure to use a non-deodorized pad to avoid soiling your underpants. If this sounds too complicated, you can also insert lactobacilli, which are available as tablets or gelatin capsules, directly into your vagina. The key is to do this for a full 7 days.

My advice is that if you really want to use yogurt to help with your vaginosis, do it alone or along with the antibiotic treatment prescribed by your doctor. After all, what do you have to lose? Yogurt treatment will at least boost your immune system and may actually cure your single or recurring BV once and for all.