Youre in pain, youre stressed, you just want it to go away.
Is it worth trying when standard yeast infection treatments have failed?
Can it really nuke that strongfishy smell?
Alyona-Kos/Getty Images
Is it even safe to put this stuff in your vagina?
Theres plenty of debate, even among doctors, about whether boric acid suppositories can cure certain vaginal infections.
Boric acid is a compound that has mild antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties.
Why would anyone want to put boric acid in their vagina?
People didnt just try this for funtheres a history of using boric acid to treat certain vaginal health issues.
But theres a reason these vaginal suppositories are no longer viewed as a go-to remedy.
Now, we have all these things in the toolbox that work much, much better.
For BV, a week of antibiotics (usuallymetronidazole) is effective for most people.
Does boric acid cure yeast infections or bacterial vaginosis?
Heres where the debate starts.
In the vagina, acid is good, she explains.
The researchers found that all but one participant had no symptoms during a follow-up visit after about 32 days.
She recommends using it in conjunction with other proven medications, but only for treatment-resistant cases.
Even in these cases, its efficacy is not well supported, she adds.
Im not in the boric acid camp, Dr. Streicher agrees.
Youre looking at failure rates of up to 50% in some studies.
And boric acid capsules in the vagina can help do just that.
Is it safe to put boric acid in your vagina, and should you even bother?
It is acidic and can be very irritating.
Acidifying the vagina may also be accomplished with low-pH vaginal gels and moisturizers that may be less irritating.
Youre also limited in how long you should ideally use it.
Dr. Schaffir cautions against diagnosing yourself and using boric acid in your vagina without a proper diagnosis first.
If your doctor seems dismissive, attempt to get a second opinion if you could.
(Planned Parenthoodand theACOGhave directories that narrow your search by a doctors location and specialty.)
