The Role of Probiotics in the Treatment of Vulvovaginal Candidiasis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

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#candidiasis-vulvovaginal #probiotics #humans #female #randomized-controlled-trials-as-topic

The Role of Probiotics in the Treatment of Vulvovaginal Candidiasis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Zahedifard et al., 2023 | Ethiop J Health Sci | Meta Analysis

Citation

Zahedifard Tahere, Khadivzadeh Talat, Rakhshkhorshid Marzieh. The Role of Probiotics in the Treatment of Vulvovaginal Candidiasis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Ethiop J Health Sci. 2023-Sep;33(5):881-890. doi:10.4314/ejhs.v33i5.18

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Vulvovaginal candidiasis is one of the most common vaginal infections worldwide. We conducted this systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the effect of probiotics in the treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis. METHODS: A comprehensive search of databases including PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, Scientific Information Database (SID), IranMedex, and Google Scholar search engine was performed. The search was conducted from inception to 1 October 2022, to identify published English or Persian language randomized control trials (RCTs) of women with vulvovaginal candidiasis who received probiotics as medical treatment. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Oxford Center for Evidence Based Medicine checklist All statistical analyses were performed using Comprehensive Meta-analysis (CMA) version 2. RESULTS: Six RCTs were included in this review. The results showed that treatment with probiotic was not different from placebo regarding the rate of positive culture (OR: 1.12; 95% CI: 0.390 to 3.26, P=0.825); treatment with probiotic was more effective compared to placebo regarding the rate of recurrence. (OR: 0.14; P= 0.01; 95 % CI: 0.028-0.7). CONCLUSION: Probiotics have a beneficial effect in the treatment of women with vulvovaginal candidiasis. Our results provide evidence for an alternative treatment modality for vaginal candidiasis using probiotics.

Key Findings

Six RCTs were included in this review. The results showed that treatment with probiotic was not different from placebo regarding the rate of positive culture (OR: 1.12; 95% CI: 0.390 to 3.26, P=0.825); treatment with probiotic was more effective compared to placebo regarding the rate of recurrence. (OR: 0.14; P= 0.01; 95 % CI: 0.028-0.7).

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population See abstract
Sample Size See abstract
Age Range See abstract
Condition See abstract

MeSH Terms

  • Candidiasis, Vulvovaginal
  • Probiotics
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Treatment Outcome

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Meta Analysis
  • Publication Types: Systematic Review, Journal Article, Meta-Analysis
  • Vertical: probiotics

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09