Cecilia Westbrook, an MD/PhD student from University of Wisconsin did an experiment that have been turning heads and churning stomachs since they reports came to light. She wanted to know if it was possible to create yogurt from the bacteria from a healthy vagina. She discovered that lactobacillus was the common bacteria found in  yogurt and also found inside of healthy vaginas.

-  Information – Westbrook discovered there is not a lot of information about making yogurt from vaginal bacteria. She also discovered that there is not a lot of information about vaginal bacteria at all. Most of the information she found was limited to the make up of the vagina's of white women. This makes her wonder if other ethnic groups are composed of the same vaginal flora. She also found only two major studies have ever been done.

-  Yogurt – When she did the research she discovered that yogurt is made from a small culture that has milk added and then heated. However, she was unaware if the same process would work for her concept.

-  Hypothesis – Westbrook decided she would use a wooden spoon to extract the bacteria from her vagina and then begin her yogurt process from there.

The Experiment

            Once Westbrook decided on the project she decided she would use a wooden spoon and three bowls. She set aside one bowl for the normal yogurt culture to compare to. Then another bowl with plain milk. The last bowl had her bacteria and milk. She left the mixtures over night and found that her bowl had a good amount of yogurt the next morning.

- The Beginning -  Westbrook stated that this all came from her own time and did not have an connection with her classes.

- The Out Come – The final result had to be tested. Westbrook stated that the only way to confirm or deny the success was by tasting the “she-made” yogurt. Her final analyzes was that it tasted sour much like Indian yogurt. She liked the flavor with blueberries and in fact had two bowls.

- The Verdict – While Westbrook may feel the out come was OK many experts are unhappy with the possible safety concerns. U.S. Food And Drug Administration's Center For Food Safety and Applied Nutrition stated that “vaginal secretions are not considered 'food', and may transmit human disease.”

            It is hard to say what the over all goal of this experiment was trying to achieve but the mass consensus is that it will not be making any headway into our grocery stores any time soon. Which will make many people feel much happier knowing that they will not have to read the fine print of their yogurt containers.