Vaginal pH

What Is Vaginal PH?

Your vaginal pH is how acidic or basic (alkaline) the inside of your vagina is. Your vaginal pH matters because a balanced pH keeps your vagina healthy and infection-free. It keeps the “good” bacteria strong and “bad” bacteria from growing out of control. Many other parts of your body have a certain pH level they maintain to stay healthy. For example, your stomach acid is very acidic so it can break down your food.

Sometimes, your pH gets off balance. Infections, hormones or sex can cause it. You’ll probably only notice it when you have symptoms of infection, like a foul-smelling vaginal odor or itching around your vulva. Your vagina can often balance its pH on its own. But if these symptoms last more than a few days, see your healthcare provider.

What is a normal vaginal pH?

A typical vaginal pH is between 3.8 and 4.5. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14, with 0 being the most acidic and 14 being the most basic. This means your vaginal pH is typically more acidic. This is good because the acid keeps unhealthy bacteria away.

But your pH can fluctuate with your hormones. A pH that’s higher than 4.5 (less acidic) can be normal just before your period and after menopause.

What causes pH imbalance in your vagina?

Your vaginal pH can be imbalanced for many reasons. Some of the most common are:

• Infections: Common infections that affect vaginal pH are bacterial vaginosis, yeast infections and trichomoniasis.
• Antibiotics: Taking antibiotics can kill the good and bad bacteria in your vagina.
• Hormone levels: Your hormone levels change during pregnancy, menopause and your menstrual cycle. Birth control pills can also affect your hormone levels and cause an imbalance.
• Douching or using certain hygiene products: You should wash your vagina with warm water only. Products can contain irritating chemicals or fragrances that may change your vaginal pH.
• Sexual activity: Sexual lubricants, condoms and semen can all affect your pH. Using dirty sex toys can also introduce harmful bacteria to your vagina.

What are symptoms of unbalanced vaginal pH?

Some signs of a pH imbalance are:

• Foul, fishy odor coming from your vagina
• Foamy, lumpy, gray or green vaginal discharge
• Itching, swelling or irritation around your vulva
• Pain or burning when you have sex or pee

If you think your pH is off or you have symptoms, it’s best to see a healthcare provider to find out why.

What are complications of unbalanced pH?

Infections are one of the main causes of unbalanced vaginal pH. Not treating an infection can lead to more serious problems.

For example, you increase your risk for conditions like pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) or sexually transmitted infections (STIs) when you have an untreated vaginal infection.

Plus, symptoms like itching and pain can worsen and be very uncomfortable.

How do you fix vaginal pH balance?

Sometimes, your body can fix itself. Good bacteria will fight off the bad to keep an acidic environment in your vagina.

If things don’t get better in a few days or get worse, see your gynecologist. They can check for infection and give you the right treatment, like antibiotics or antifungal medicine.

There are at-home tests that check your vaginal pH using color-changing paper. You put the paper in your vagina, wait for it to change color, and match it to a chart. These tests can help, but they can’t tell you why your pH is off or what infection you might have.

How do you maintain a healthy vaginal pH?

There are some steps you can take to maintain a healthy pH balance:

• Don’t douche or use harsh soaps. Wash your vulva using warm water. You shouldn’t need to put any soap or products inside your vagina.
• Avoid using scented sprays, soaps, pads or tampons. Scented products can alter the pH of your vagina.
• Change your tampons and pads every few hours.
• Practice safe sex by using a condom or dental dam. This prevents your partner’s bodily fluids from affecting your pH level.
• Change out of wet or sweaty clothes and underwear as soon as you can.

Other things you can do include:

• Take probiotics.
• Drink lots of water.
• Quit smoking.
• Limit high-sugar foods.