How Swimming Can Cause Vaginal Infections

Summer swims and weekend lake trips sound like fun… until your vagina starts feeling less than thrilled about your aquatic adventures. If you’ve ever dealt with an infection after a dip in the pool or a lake, you’re not imagining things—water can, in fact, mess with your vaginal balance.

Let’s dive into why.

Your Vaginal Microbiome: Delicate, Powerful, and Not a Fan of Chlorine

Your vagina is an expert at keeping itself in check. It maintains a slightly acidic environment (pH 3.8–4.5) that supports good bacteria and keeps the not-so-great ones in line. But this balance is sensitive — and certain kinds of water can throw it off.

What Happens When You Swim?

1. Chlorine Disrupts Vaginal pH
Pools are treated with chlorine to keep germs out, but that same chemical can also strip away the good bacteria that protect your vaginal health. Add in the drying effects of chlorine, and you’ve got a recipe for irritation, pH disruption, and infection.

2. Waterborne Bacteria Can Enter Your V
Lakes, rivers, and hot springs might look clean, but they’re full of microorganisms. Even chlorinated pools and hot tubs can be improperly balanced, allowing certain bacterias to survive. Some of these can be harmless—but others? Not so much. If water gets into the vaginal canal, especially in warm or stagnant environments, it can introduce unwanted bacteria.

3. Sitting in a Wet Swimsuit = The Perfect Storm
You know the drill: swim, sunbathe, chat, forget to change. But staying in a damp swimsuit for hours creates a warm, moist environment that yeast and bacteria love. It's like setting out snacks and wondering why guests show up.

Common Post-Swim Infections

If your vagina feels a little “off” after swimming, it could be due to these dreaded guests showing up uninvited. Some of the usual suspects include:

• Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) – Often marked by discharge with a fishy odor.

• Yeast Infections – Itching, irritation, and thick, white ('cottage-cheese-like') discharge.

• Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) – Burning while peeing, or that annoying urge to go constantly.

• Vaginitis - Itching, irritation, redness, and inflammation
  
  

How to Keep Your Vagina Protected 

Gone are the days of "change out of your wet swimsuit" and "rinse off after you swim". Odds are, it's too late by that point anyways. Keeping the bacteria and chlorine out is the only way to ensure they don't hang around and cause problems. The V Seal is an invisible adhesive that seals your vagina for worry-free swimming. Taking a probiotic can also be helpful in keeping your microbiome in balance, but ultimately it just doesn't offer the same kind of defense.

 

 

 

Image Credit: https://pluslifehealth.com.au