Do What it Takes to Avoid Upsetting the pH Balance of the Vagina
Frankly speaking, listing all of the various methods that may help prevent bacterial vaginosis would land you with a list at least a hundred pages long or so. That being said, there are methods that are generally more universal than others and they should provide you with a valuable place to start, at very least.
One of the most universal causes of bacterial vaginosis is definitely anything and everything that can affect the pH balance within the vagina. Although this may seem like a fairly nondescript factor, the truth is that the pH balance is what controls the growth of bacteria itself, and therefore upsetting it can lead to exactly the consequences that you want to avoid.
First and foremost, if you tend to carry out vaginal douching - stop! Despite the fact that you might not think it is harmful, the truth is that vaginal douching can increase the likelihood that bad bacteria begins to grow within the vagina. Also, douching can upset the delicate pH balance within the vagina itself and thus directly lead to bacterial growth.
Similarly, it is important that you wear condoms during sex for that reason too. Semen is alkaline in nature, and thus it can make the vagina more alkaline as well. Needless to say, this will directly affect the pH balance and cause the bacterial growth that you want to avoid as far as humanly possible. Also, it is worth ensuring that any dildos or sex toys that are inserted into the vagina are also thoroughly cleaned.
Other substances that can affect the pH balance of the vagina include things such as feminine hygiene sprays, soaps, bubble baths, deodorized tampons, and anything that is heavily scented. While it might be impossible to avoid all of these things all of the time, making the effort to at least avoid them most of the time will definitely gain you some ground.
At the end of the day, there are going to be factors that will affect the pH balance of your vagina - that is just something that you'll have to face. However, by limiting the frequency in which it occurs, you can dramatically reduce the risk that it actually leads to bacterial vaginosis. Bear in mind that not every single small upset of the pH balance is going to result in a full fledged break out!
Now that you know what can possibly affect the pH balance of the vagina, you at least have a starting point that you can use to reduce the risk that you contract bacterial vaginosis.
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