Boric acid (vaginal)

This article is about boric acid as a vaginal treatment. For boric acid as a chemical in general, see Boric acid.
Boric acid
Clinical data
Other namesOrthoboric acid; Trihydroxyborane; Trihydroxydoboron; Hydrogen orthoborate; Boracic acid; Trihydroxyboron; B(OH)3
Routes of
administration		Vaginal (capsule, suppository)
Drug classAntiseptic; Antibacterial; Antifungal
ATC code
Pharmacokinetic data
BioavailabilityOral: 100%[1]
Vaginal: ~6%[1][2][3]
Transdermal: minimal (intact but not damaged skin)[1][2]
Protein bindingUnknown[4]
MetabolismNegligible[2]
MetabolitesNone known[4]
Elimination half-life11–24 hours[2][3][4]
ExcretionUrine (≥90%), small amounts in feces, sweat, saliva[4][1][2]
Identifiers
IUPAC name
  • boric acid
CAS Number
PubChem CID
DrugBank
ChemSpider
UNII
KEGG
ChEBI
ChEMBL
Chemical and physical data
FormulaBH3O3
Molar mass61.83 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)
SMILES
  • B(O)(O)O
InChI
  • InChI=1S/BH3O3/c2-1(3)4/h2-4H
  • Key:KGBXLFKZBHKPEV-UHFFFAOYSA-N

Boric acid is an antiseptic used as a vaginal medication to treat vaginal infections including yeast infections, bacterial vaginosis, and trichomoniasis.[5][2] It is administered as a capsule or suppository inserted into the vagina.[2][6] The compound is not a pharmaceutical drug and is instead available over-the-counter.[5][1][7][6] Boric acid has shown comparable effectiveness to antifungals in the treatment of vaginal yeast infections.[5] Clinical data for other vaginal infections are more limited.[5]

Side effects of vaginal boric acid may include watery discharge, burning, itching, redness, bleeding, and erosive changes.[5] They are usually mild and temporary.[5] Boric acid can produce toxic effects, including death, if taken orally and/or at very high doses.[5][8] The exact mechanism of action of boric acid as an antiseptic is unclear.[2][6][9][10] Chemically, boric acid is a boron compound, or a compound containing the element boron, and is also known as trihydroxyboron.[11]

Boric acid has been used medically since ancient times, but its discovery as a chemical compound was not until the 1600s.[12][13][14] Its antiseptic properties were reported around 1875.[15][16][17] The compound was being used as a vaginal antiseptic by the late 1800s.[18] Clinical studies of boric acid for treatment of vaginal infections began being published in the late 1900s and early 2000s.[5] Despite not being a pharmaceutical drug, boric acid is widely used by women in the management of vaginal infections.[19][5][1] It may be difficult to obtain in some countries.[5]

  1. ^ a b c d e f Cite error: The named reference MittelstaedtKretzLevine2021 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Cite error: The named reference PruttingCerveny1998 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference VanSlykeMichelRein1981 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference DrugBank was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Lærkeholm Müller M, Damsted Petersen C, Saunte DM (2024). "Boric Acid for the Treatment of Vaginitis: New Possibilities Using an Old Anti-Infective Agent: A Systematic Review". Dermatologic Therapy. 2024 (1). doi:10.1155/2024/2807070. ISSN 1396-0296.
  6. ^ a b c Felix TC, de Brito Röder DV, Dos Santos Pedroso R (March 2019). "Alternative and complementary therapies for vulvovaginal candidiasis". Folia Microbiologica. 64 (2): 133–141. doi:10.1007/s12223-018-0652-x. PMID 30269301.
  7. ^ Nyirjesy P, Weitz MV, Grody MH, Lorber B (July 1997). "Over-the-counter and alternative medicines in the treatment of chronic vaginal symptoms". Obstetrics and Gynecology. 90 (1): 50–53. doi:10.1016/S0029-7844(97)00242-1. PMID 9207812.
  8. ^ Hadrup N, Frederiksen M, Sharma AK (April 2021). "Toxicity of boric acid, borax and other boron containing compounds: A review". Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology. 121: 104873. doi:10.1016/j.yrtph.2021.104873. PMID 33485927.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference GosselinSmithHodge1984 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference PowellGhanemRogers2019 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ "Boric Acid". PubChem. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference Mann1984 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference Thomson1830 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference PereiraCarson1852 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ Cite error: The named reference Valdes-DapenaArey1962 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  16. ^ Cite error: The named reference Nesbit1945 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  17. ^ Cite error: The named reference MartindaleWescott1884 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  18. ^ Cite error: The named reference Giles1897 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  19. ^ Cite error: The named reference AbbeMitchell2023 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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