How and What the Vaginal pH varies
In childhood and old age, when estrogen levels are low, the vaginal pH is around neutral (6-7).In adolescence and adulthood, however, the environment becomes acidic (around 4.5), protecting the vagina from infections and promoting the growth of Doderlein's lactobacilli, symbiotic bacteria that ferment cellular glycogen into lactic acid.
Thanks to this acidity, to a competitive mechanism for nutrients and to the antibacterial substances produced during their metabolism, Doderlein's lactobacilli protect women from vaginal and vulvovaginal infections, preventing the proliferation of a wide range of pathogens.
The vaginal pH tends to move towards neutrality - as well as in childhood and senescence - also during the menstrual and premenstrual period; before ovulation, however, it is very acid and begins to rise after the release of the egg from the follicle.
Vaginal acidity, which we have seen to be an obstacle to the development of pathogenic germs, is equally unfavorable to the survival of spermatozoa; during the ovulatory period, however, the intervention of the cervical mucus (whose pH is around 8) counteracts this acidity facilitating eventual fertilization.
The male semen, for its part, has a slightly alkaline pH (7.2 - 7.8) and tends to shift the vaginal pH towards neutrality (for this reason, in the presence of recurrent episodes of bacterial vaginosis, the "use of condoms can be d" help even when the partner is perfectly healthy).
The same can be said for blood loss during the menstrual period (blood has a pH between 7.34 and 7.45).
, heartburn, bad odor and abnormal vaginal discharge) is attributable or not to an "infection.
In any case, the pH test must necessarily be associated with more in-depth investigations, such as the culture of vaginal discharge, their microscopic examination, odor and Gram staining.
The use in the home, therefore, must have a purely indicative purpose, because - isolated from other diagnostic tests - it does not provide any certainty on the presence or absence of an infection, nor on the type of microorganism involved; for this reason it cannot in any way justify the use of self-treatment.
have a particularly high pH value, most gynecologists recommend using specific products for intimate hygiene or a mild soap.In order not to alter the acidity of the vaginal environment, it is important to avoid the use of douches; the vagina, in fact, is an organ that cleans itself and a normal washing of the external genitals (vulva) with warm water and mild soap is more than enough.
The substances dissolved in the liquid used for irrigations, in fact, can upset the local microflora and raise the pH of the vagina, favoring the engraftment of pathogens and increasing the risk of severe infections (the consequences can be very serious, such as the dreaded inflammatory disease pelvic).
For further information: Vaginal Flora: What is it?
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