Editing Probiotic (section)

=== Bacterial vaginosis ===
Probiotic treatment of bacterial vaginosis is the application or ingestion of [[List of microbiota species of the lower reproductive tract of women|bacterial species found in the healthy vagina]] to cure the infection of bacteria causing [[bacterial vaginosis]]. This treatment is based on the observation that 70% of healthy females have a group of bacteria in the genus ''Lactobacillus'' that dominate the population of organisms in the vagina. Specific strains of lactobacilli inhibit the growth of bacteria causing BV by producing H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>, lactic acid, and/or bacteriocins, and/or inhibit the adherence of ''[[Gardnerella vaginalis]]'' to the vaginal epithelium, which prevents the infection from occurring in the vagina.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Falagas |first1=M.E. |last2=Betsi |first2=G.I. |last3=Athanasiou |first3=S. |date=2007-07-01 |title=Probiotics for the treatment of women with bacterial vaginosis |journal=Clinical Microbiology and Infection |language=en |volume=13 |issue=7 |pages=657–664 |doi=10.1111/j.1469-0691.2007.01688.x |issn=1198-743X |pmid=17633390 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Currently, the success of probiotic treatment has been mixed, since the use of probiotics to restore healthy populations of ''Lactobacillus'' has not been standardized.  Often, standard antibiotic treatment is used at the same time that probiotics are being tested. In addition, some groups of women respond to treatment based upon ethnicity, age, number of sexual partners, pregnancy, and the pathogens causing bacterial vaginosis.<ref name="PetrovaLievens2015">{{Cite journal |last1=Petrova |first1=Mariya I. |last2=Lievens |first2=Elke |last3=Malik |first3=Shweta |last4=Imholz |first4=Nicole |last5=Lebeer |first5=Sarah |year=2015 |title=Lactobacillus species as biomarkers and agents that can promote various aspects of vaginal health |journal=Frontiers in Physiology |volume=6 |pages=81 |doi=10.3389/fphys.2015.00081 |issn=1664-042X |pmc=4373506 |pmid=25859220 |doi-access=free}}</ref> In 2013, researchers found that administration of [[hydrogen peroxide]]-producing strains, such as ''L. acidophilus'' and ''L. rhamnosus'', were able to normalize vaginal pH and rebalance the [[vaginal flora|vaginal microbiota]], preventing and alleviating bacterial vaginosis.<ref>{{Cite journal |vauthors=Borges S, Silva J, Teixeira P |date=March 2014 |title=The role of lactobacilli and probiotics in maintaining vaginal health |journal=Arch. Gynecol. Obstet. |type=Review |volume=289 |issue=3 |pages=479–489 |doi=10.1007/s00404-013-3064-9 |pmid=24170161 |s2cid=23954527}}</ref>