How To Know Your Vaginal pH Is Off & What To Do About It

When your vaginal pH is healthy, your vagina is able to be "invisible"—just doing its job as normal. But when your pH is thrown off, your vagina often announces its presence in irritating and sometimes even painful ways. 

We spoke to two gynecologists about why maintaining a healthy vaginal pH is important—and what to do if yours becomes out of whack.

Healthy vaginas typically have a pH of around four to 4.5, according to holistic gynecologist Eden Fromberg, D.O.

As a quick refresher, pH is a way to measure the acidity or basicity of a substance. A pH of seven is neutral, a pH lower than seven is acidic, and a pH higher than seven is basic. Healthy vaginas lean on the acidic side.

There are four main types of healthy bacteria in the vagina, Fromberg explains: Lactobacillus iners, Lactobacillus crispatus, Lactobacillus gasseri, and Lactobacillus jensenii. "Together, they produce an acidic environment in the vagina, keeping it resistant to infections and bacterial overgrowth," she says.

An overgrowth of bacteria can grow in vaginas that are out of balance and too basic, according to functional medicine gynecologist Wendie Trubow, M.D., MBA. This can lead to bacterial vaginosis, a very common type of vaginal inflammation associated with unusual discharge, odor, and pain during sex.

"When the pH is too high, the vagina is not happy. And then women aren't happy because the vagina is not happy," Trubow says. 

To test your pH, Fromberg suggests ordering pH testing strips that test for a range of pH levels, between around three to nine.

There are things you can do yourself to keep your vagina balanced, but if you're experiencing recurring bacterial vaginosis, then Trubow suggests seeing a medical provider for help. 

Many things can affect your vaginal pH, including where you are in your menstrual cycle and whether you're taking antibiotics. Another thing that plays a big role in your vaginal health is what you eat. "The vagina is just essentially a snapshot of what's happening inside the body in the gut," Trubow said. Here are a few ways to keep your gut—and your pH—in a healthy, balanced place:

Take a probiotic: Probiotics help bolster the gut lining, Trubow says. Taking oral probiotics and eating probiotic-rich foods like yogurt, kombucha, and sauerkraut can help keep the vaginal microbiome healthy, according to Fromberg. Look for a product that contains Lactobacillus, the genus of bacteria that keeps vaginas healthy and balanced, like the ones on this list of the year's top nine best probiotics for women.

Avoid inflammatory foods: What you eat directly affects the health of all parts of your body, including the vagina, according to Trubow. She suggests avoiding foods and drinks that cause inflammation, such as processed foods and alcohol, and recommends seeing a functional medicine provider to test for food sensitivities and discover which foods irritate your gut. Fromberg suggests eating mostly whole foods, vegetables, and complex carbohydrates.

Avoid douching: Vaginas clean themselves. While cleaning the outside of your vagina is important, douching the inside can strip your vagina of both bad and good bacteria. "The vagina wasn't designed to be washed out," Trubow says.

Wear a condom: Sex can throw off a vagina's pH, too. Semen leans on the basic side, so it can affect a vagina's acidic pH, according to Fromberg. Using a condom, aside from being a healthy family planning practice, can help keep your vagina's pH balanced.

Change out of moist fabrics: It's a good rule of thumb to limit the amount of time you spend in wet, synthetic fabrics, such as swimsuits, underwear, and exercise clothing, Fromberg says, as they can create an environment that breeds bacteria. 

As for how you'll know that your efforts are working? "When you fix the gut, the vagina becomes invisible," Trubow says. "Most people don't think about their elbows. That's how your vagina should be…you don't notice it; it just does its job."

Maintaining a healthy vaginal pH starts with your gut. By following general healthy practices, such as eating whole foods that don't irritate your stomach, letting your vagina clean itself, and taking a probiotic to help healthy bacteria flourish, you can help keep your pH balanced and your vagina happy.