Pill, IUD, condom: what does contraception do to your vaginal health?

Up to almost 80% of women use contraception. Which method suits you best is usually judged on reliability and convenience. What’s less well known is that your choice can also affect your vaginal flora. But can contraception really make you more likely to get BV or a yeast infection? We’ll explain it all here.

Your vaginal flora is an ecosystem dominated by one type of good bacteria. These bacteria keep your vaginal pH low (an acidity between 3.8 and 4.5). That acidic environment helps maintain the balance and makes it harder for certain unwanted bacteria to multiply too much. When there’s a vaginal infection, the balance in your vaginal flora is disrupted. With bacterial vaginosis, there are too few good bacteria and the bad bacteria take over. 

With a yeast infection, there’s an overgrowth of candida, usually Candida albicans. Normally, the good bacteria in your vaginal flora keep candida in check. When the good bacteria decrease and the balance is disrupted, candida gets the chance to overgrow and a yeast infection can develop. 

Lots of factors can disrupt the balance of your vaginal flora. But it’s not as simple as contraception = disrupted vaginal balance. How it affects your vaginal balance is a little more complicated.

The most commonly used contraceptives

The most common methods of contraception are the pill, the IUD and the condom. Below you’ll find an overview of how each one works, how it’s used, whether it contains hormones and whether it protects against STIs.

Contraception and vaginal infections

Contraception can affect your vaginal flora. That doesn’t mean you’ll automatically get a vaginal infection when you use it. The chance of a vaginal imbalance, and an infection as a result, varies a lot from person to person. You can always try different types of contraception together with your GP to see which one suits you best.

Below you’ll find an overview of what research says about higher and lower risks of BV and yeast infections with the most commonly used contraceptives.

If you notice persistent or recurring symptoms while using your contraception, always have your GP check where they’re coming from. You can get tested and, if needed, switch to a different method. It’s good to know that contraception can play a role in a vaginal infection, but there can always be other causes involved too.