The Vaginal Microbiome and Chronic Vaginal Infections with Wendy Strgar

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About the episode

“We can’t treat clearly when we don’t know what community of bugs are there.” – Wendy Strgar

For some women, vaginal infections are something to deal with once in a while and move on. But for others, it’s a completely different experience. They keep getting the same symptoms, going back to the doctor, trying another round of antibiotics or antifungals, and hoping this time it will work. Sometimes this goes on for years. And one of the challenges is that we don’t always have a clear picture of what’s happening in the vaginal microbiome. Different infections can cause very similar symptoms, and the standard tests don’t always include all the organisms that could be causing the problem.

As women’s health practitioners, we have to think about what happens after we’ve treated an infection. Antibiotics can change the whole vaginal microbiome, including the beneficial bacteria that help protect against future infections. How do we help to restore that healthy environment? And what about women whose vaginal health has changed because of pregnancy, breastfeeding, perimenopause, or cancer treatment? These changes can affect everything from daily comfort to intimacy and quality of life, yet they’re still often overlooked. We have an opportunity to provide more individualized care that supports the health of vaginal tissues and the microbiome over time.

In today’s episode, I’m joined by my longtime friend and colleague Wendy Strgar, founder of Good Clean Love and Good Clean Clinical Care. Wendy shares how her own experience with vaginal pain led her into women’s sexual health research and product development. We talk about the limitations of conventional vaginal testing, the role of Lactobacillus and vaginal pH, why recurrent infections need a more comprehensive approach, how biomimicry can help support a healthier vaginal environment, vaginal health during menopause and cancer treatment, the importance of rebuilding the microbiome after treatment, how better access to care can help women with chronic vaginal infections, and more.

Enjoy the episode, and let’s innovate and integrate together!

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Highlights

• The personal experiences that led Wendy to create Good Clean Love
• Why conventional vaginal testing can miss infections and contribute to misdiagnosis
• The development of a 56-target PCR test to provide a more complete picture of the vaginal microbiome
• Why it’s essential to support microbiome recovery alongside treating infections
• The role of protective lactobacilli in vaginal health
• How pregnancy, menopause, and cancer treatments can affect vaginal health
• The science behind vaginal health products
• How Good Clean Clinical Care combines microbiome testing, personalized treatment, and telemedicine
• The importance of targeted microbial testing for individualized treatment decisions
• What practitioners should understand about local treatments, probiotics, and the timeline for microbiome recovery
• The need for ongoing vaginal microbiome support
• Why safer prescribing, patient education, and expanded research are essential for the future of vaginal healthcare

Learn more about Wendy Strgar

• Wendy Strgar on Instagram @wendy.strgar
• Good Clean Love on Instagram @goodcleanlove
• Wendy Strgar’s Website | goodcleanclinicalcare.com
• Wendy Strgar on Substack

About Wendy Strgar

Wendy Strgar is an award-winning serial entrepreneur and founder of three women’s health companies: Omni Channel consumer brand Good Clean Love, Biotechnology women’s health pioneer in Vaginal Biome Science and Telemedicine platform Good Clean Clinical Care. Employing her revolutionary patented BioMatched technology for women’s health across the range of companies, she is continually developing new solutions to the hugely misunderstood and misdiagnosed field of vaginal health.

Strgar holds multiple US patents for Bio-Match technology, a leading scientific approach applying biomimicry to compounded medicine, sexual health and hygiene products. Her work in CPG has led to FDA regulatory changes in both osmolarity requirements and the reduction of animal testing requirements for 510K clearance. Under Wendy’s leadership, Good Clean Love was distinguished by PETA as Working for Regulatory Change. Her lubricants have been named in an NIH study as among the safest in the market and they now are the number one selling natural/organic brand in the United States, with products on more than 40,000 store shelves.

Wendy is a self-proclaimed Loveologist, Sexual Health Educator and Author of 3 books: Love That Works, Sex That Works and forthcoming Life Bewildered. She was named in the 2025 Forbes 50 Over 50 list and named as a visionary leader in multiple awards.

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