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Feeling some itching or burning in your vaginal area? Or have you recently noticed a strong, fishy smell down there? You may be experiencing an unbalanced vaginal pH. Long story short, vaginal pH is the measure of how acidic or basic the environment of your vagina is. On a range of 0–14, a pH that’s closer to 0 is more acidic, and one that’s closer to 14 is more basic. A pH close to 7 is seen as neutral.

A healthy or “normal” vaginal pH typically doesn’t fall in the neutral range, but instead is fairly acidic, falling somewhere between 3.5 and 4.5.

Bacterial vaginosis, commonly known as BV, is the most common vaginal infection in the US—which means it’s more prevalent than yeast infections. Affecting more than 21 million women between the ages of 14 and 49, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), more likely than not, you’ve probably had BV at some point in your life. Caused by an overgrowth of vaginal bacteria, BV can be majorly uncomfortable, with symptoms including a burning sensation of the genitals, itching, odor, and discharge. Alternatively, sometimes BV doesn’t manifest symptoms, so people with the infection might not know they have it. Either way, treating BV is essential, especially if you’re pregnant. The CDC notes that left untreated, BV might lead to premature birth or low-birth-weight babies. Additionally, if left untreated in non-pregnant women, BV can increase the risk of other infections and cause a host of vaginal issues.