Maintaining a physiological vaginal pH (acid) is an important protective factor against bacterial infections of the internal genitalia.
In childhood and old age, when estrogen levels are low, vaginal pH is around neutrality (6-7).
The vaginal pH tends to shift towards neutrality - in addition to childhood and senescence - even during the menstrual and premenstrual periods (instead of ovulation, it is very acidic and starts to rise after the release of the egg from the follicle) . The vaginal acidity, which we have seen to be an obstacle to the development of pathogenic germs, is equally unfavorable to sperm survival; during the ovulatory period, however, the intervention of the cervical mucus (whose pH is around 8) contrasts this acidity facilitating the possible fertilization. The male seed, 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 (the blood has a pH between 7.34 and 7.45).
Among the pathological conditions capable of increasing vaginal pH, a prominent role is played by sexually transmitted diseases, for example in cases of trichomoniasis, candidiasis and bacterial vaginosis. Also hypoestrogenism (estrogen deficiency) is related to a decrease in vaginal acidity, an absolutely physiological condition after menopause.
Vaginal pH test
A simple kit allows the vaginal pH to be detected in an instant, both in the clinical and in the home (it is sufficient to place a clean litmus paper on the inner walls of the vagina for a few seconds). The use of this simple test can be useful to establish if the presence of troublesome symptoms at vaginal level (itching, burning, bad smell and abnormal vaginal discharge) is attributable or not to an infection. In any case, the pH test must necessarily be associated with more detailed investigations, such as the culture of vaginal discharge, their microscopic examination, the smell and Gram stain. The use in the domestic environment must therefore 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, much less on the type of microorganism involved; for this reason it cannot in any way justify the use of self-therapy.
NOTES : since many soaps have a particularly high pH value, most gynecologists recommend using specific products for intimate hygiene or a mild soap.
To avoid altering the acidity of the vaginal environment it is important to avoid the use of lavenders; 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 sufficient. The substances dissolved in the liquid used for irrigation can in fact 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, like the feared pelvic inflammatory disease) .
