It’s normal to be curious about things like your vaginal pH. We all know it’s important to your vaginal health. What’s not always clear is how to test your vaginal pH, or if you even need to. Testing your vaginal pH is a bit of a mystery. You may not find the answers if you don’t go digging around on the internet.
So how do you test your vaginal pH? It’s a good question and one that deserves a good answer. That’s what we’re here for. We want you to treat your Vee like the amazing organ it deserves to be treated as. So here’s all you’re wondering about testing your vaginal pH.
How Do I Test My Vaginal pH?
Testing for your vaginal pH at home is actually fairly easy. You can find kits like the Monistat Care Vaginal Health Test at any drug store. This might not say “vaginal pH kit” expressly but it does in the description of the product. It will help you test your vaginal pH from the comfort of your own home.
You’ll want to make sure your hands are washed and you’re laying in a clean area before you open the swab. From there you’ll just have to swab the inside of your vagina. Once you’ve done that the swab will start to change colors. This is normal.
Your kit will come with a color interpretation chart you can use to determine if your vaginal pH is healthy or not. For more detailed instructions use the instructions that come in the box of the kit you purchase. Each kit may have slightly different instructions and require slightly different steps.
Should I Test My Vagina pH?
That’s entirely your call. If you think you might have a yeast infection but your symptoms are unclear, or you want to make sure you don’t have BV, go ahead and test your vaginal pH. It really doesn’t harm anything and it could give you some decent answers.
If you’re nervous about testing your vaginal pH at home talk with your doctor. This is one of the tests they do when they’re swabbing around down there and they can do it for you. Just explain your symptoms or reasoning for wanting to check your vaginal pH so they know what they’re looking for.
Related: 14 Myths About Your Vagina Debunked
What If My Vaginal pH Is Off?
If your vaginal pH is off then it’s an indicator that you have some sort of infection. You may be looking at something like a yeast infection or BV. You could also be dealing with an STD. Because you won’t be quite sure what’s going on with just a home kit it’s best to set an appointment to see your gyno.
If it’s just a yeast infection you can still treat it with OTC products or home remedies. There may be something more serious going on like BV. In that case you can use boric acid or antibiotics. If you do have an STD there’s no need to worry or freak out. You can treat most of those with a simple course of antibiotics.
Related: How To Cure A Yeast Infection At Home
Final Thoughts
Testing your vaginal pH from home isn’t hard. And sometimes it can give you valuable information. If you feel like something is off down there, testing isn’t a bad idea. It can help tell you what to deal with and where to go from there. You can get back to being yourself sooner and that’s always a good thing.
Sarah Nelson is a nurse with 15 years of experience working with a variety of patients. She has a Masters of Science in Nursing and has spent a large portion of her career working exclusively with women in an OB/GYN setting.
Nursing is a passion for Sarah but she also enjoys writing and sharing her expertise online with people who need helpful information. Treating patients well and helping them learn more about their own bodies is a key essential to a healthy lifestyle that Sarah truly believes in.