Skip navigation! Story from Body. I never fell asleep in my high school chemistry class, but I may as well have. I zoned out and doodled the whole time. But I might have paid more attention if my teacher would have started with a lesson about vaginal pH. Sharman L.
Lactobacilli Dominance and Vaginal pH: Why Is the Human Vaginal Microbiome Unique?
8 Home Remedies For Vaginal Itch & Rebalancing Your pH
What I don't remember learning about, though, is how pH relates to the human body. For women, in particular, maintaining the optimal pH levels in the vagina is extremely important for vaginal and reproductive health. The pH level of the vagina directly correlates with the presence bacteria, ideally resting between the levels of 3. A vaginal pH between 3.
Doctors can take a vaginal pH measurement to determine how acidic the vaginal environment is. It is also possible to test this at home. In this article, learn more about normal vaginal pH levels, how to test them at home, and what to do to restore vaginal pH balance. A normal vaginal pH is between 3. A pH level within this range can help to keep bacterial and fungal infections at bay.
The human vaginal microbiome is dominated by bacteria from the genus Lactobacillus , which create an acidic environment thought to protect women against sexually transmitted pathogens and opportunistic infections. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain humans' unique vaginal microbiota, including humans' distinct reproductive physiology, high risk of STDs, and high risk of microbial complications linked to pregnancy and birth. We found that non-human mammals, like humans, exhibit the lowest vaginal pH during the period of highest estrogen.