These Supportive Supplements Are Like A “Thank You” Note For Your Vagina

One week, you’re lounging poolside in a bikini, sweating it out at Pilates, and blissfully enjoying the many settings of your favorite vibrator. The next, you’re exclusively wearing cotton panties, panic dialing your OB-GYN, and skipping sex because the discharge on your underwear looks and smells a little… off. But why? The answer could have to do with your vaginal microbiome.

Your vagina is home to many types of yeast and bacteria, collectively known as your vaginal microbiome. When it’s balanced, you don’t experience irritation like redness or swelling, your discharge is typically clear or white, and any odors you notice down there are mild. But when your vaginal microbiome is thrown out of whack, which is a frustratingly common occurrence after sex, you may develop a yeast infection, bacterial vaginosis (BV), or a urinary tract infection (UTI).

Tricky thing is, you can do everything right — avoid scented lubes and soaps, change out of damp clothes, practice safer sex — and still wind up with an angry vagina. Enter: probiotics, aka good bacteria that help keep your microbiome balanced. And that’s where AZO®, a longtime maker of over-the-counter UTI meds, comes in: For Bustle’s 2025 Sexual Wellness Awards, two of the brand’s probiotic supplements have been crowned as best-in-class for supporting vaginal health. They’ll help you take control of your well-being and feel more comfortable in your skin. Let’s meet them, shall we?

The Vaginal Microbiome Booster

There’s a long list of things that can disrupt your vaginal microbiome and, therefore, your vaginal pH. (FYI: A healthy pH is moderately acidic and helps stave off infections. The more you know!) Having sex, dealing with stress, getting your period, being pregnant, taking antibiotics, and simply getting older can throw your pH into a tizzy, setting the stage for irritation or even full-blown infections.

That’s why AZO® Complete Feminine Balance Daily Probiotic Capsules can be a welcome addition to your wellness routine. You take one pill a day, so you’re regularly restoring and maintaining the good bacteria and optimal pH that naturally protect your vagina when harmful microbes try to take over. Think of it like drinking enough water to stay hydrated or eating enough fiber to stay regular — it’s maintenance for your health, not a one-and-done wellness hack.

Eating probiotic-rich foods like yogurt and sauerkraut can also be good for you, but let’s be real: Downing a pill that contains a blend of bacterial strains that specifically support your vaginal health is efficient and convenient, so you’re more likely to stick with it (especially if you prefer to mix up your daily meals and can’t always squeeze in a fermented ingredient).

The Urinary Health Protector

If you seem to be more prone to UTIs than yeast infections or BV, AZO® Dual Protection Urinary + Vaginal Support Capsules may be more your speed — and trust me, you’re not alone in this: At least 50% of women will have at least one UTI in their lifetime.

You have your anatomy to thank for that: In people with vaginas, the urethra (aka the little tube that connects to your bladder and funnels pee out of your body) is a lot shorter in length than in people with penises, meaning bacteria need less travel time to reach the urinary tract and set up shop. Plus, the urethra’s opening is fairly close to both the vagina and anus, so bacteria from either of those areas could wiggle their way into the urethra. This is particularly true during sex, when all sorts of skin-on-skin action is happening. (Bummer, I know!)

That said, research suggests that your vaginal health and urinary health are closely intertwined; when good bacteria thrive in your vagina, they can have protective effects on your urinary tract, too. So in addition to a top-notch probiotic blend, this dual-protection supplement also contains a unique prebiotic to help those beneficial bugs grow, and target the strains that reinforce your vaginal and urinary health. You only need to take one pill a day, and it can start working its magic in as little as 24 hours.

Of course, each person’s health — including their vaginal microbiome — is unique, so speaking with your OB-GYN will help you gauge whether either of these supplements is a good option for your needs. If they give you the green light, be consistent about taking your probiotic for at least 30 days and see how you feel. It’s a small change that can make a big difference, especially if frustrating infections have consistently sidelined your sex life.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.