Probiotics. Kombucha. Kefir. Dysbiosis. Symprove. By now, if you’ve ever googled the words “gut health”, you’ll be familiar with these terms. For the past few years, digestive wellbeing has been a major talking point in the wellness sector, with countless videos on TikTok touting the benefits of regularly popping probiotics and consuming the aforementioned paraphernalia. All help boost the illusive gut microbiome – aka the bacteria and other microbes that support digestion, immunity, heart health, and just about anything else.
Now though, the conversation has shifted, spotlighting a different, somewhat unsuspecting body part: the vagina. To some, this might sound bizarre. But there is such a thing as the vaginal microbiome, and it has become the subject du jour among the health-obsessed set. On TikTok, videos with thousands of views pontificate about the benefits of maintaining a healthy vaginal microbiome (a term that is used interchangeably with “vaginal microflora”), linking it to fertility, STIs, immunity, inflammation, and HPV. Online, you can buy all sorts of products claiming to support it, from shower gels to vaginal probiotics.
