What Are Vaginas Supposed To Smell Like
🛑 ALL INFORMATION CLICK HERE 👈🏻👈🏻👈🏻
What Are Vaginas Supposed To Smell Like
This Is What Your Vagina Is Supposed To Smell Like
Hint: it's not freshly baked cookies.
9 Reasons Your Poop Smells Next-Level Bad
Should We All Be Stockpiling Plan B Right Now?
Dollar Store Pregnancy Tests Are Reliable, Cheap, and Worth Stocking Up on Right Now
9 Reasons Your Poop Smells Next-Level Bad
Everyone Should Know How to Spot the Stages of Anaphylaxis
Please, I’m Begging You: Stop Using Q-Tips to Clean Your Ears
How to Tell When Your Sweaty Hands and Feet Are Actually a Problem
Here’s How Long a Migraine Typically Lasts
The Bee Sting Advice You Need to Know Now
Why Is There a Gender Disparity in Migraine?
Here’s How to Tell If a Tick Head Is Still in Your Skin, According to Doctors
Discover new workout ideas, healthy-eating recipes, makeup looks, skin-care advice, the best beauty products and tips, trends, and more from SELF.
Maybe you've wondered, "Does my vagina smell normal?" YourTango gets down to business.
I don't care how comfortable you are with your own body, we all have those moments where we think about how we smell down there. Maybe it's at the doctor's office before a pelvic exam, or it might be as your partner is making their way to your vagina for some up-close and personal fun. You wonder, "Do I smell normal? And what is normal anyway? What is a vagina supposed to smell like?"
Healthy vaginas often do have smells! Most of the time, these vagina scents aren't awful—they just smell like a vagina; like the way you sometimes smell sweaty or how your feet stink in certain shoes. We smell like humans, and the smell of our vaginas depend on certain factors. If you just took a shower and washed your lady-bits, there probably isn't any smell. But if you just had a marathon sex session, your vagina will have an odor.
It's important not to forget that your vagina also secretes pheromones that are supposed to trigger sexual interest and excitement.
"I don't know how to describe what a vagina should smell like, but I can tell you what it shouldn't smell like," says Mary Jane Minkin, M.D. , clinical professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences at Yale University School of Medicine. "The vagina shouldn't smell like rotten fish or anything rotting. [That odor] is from bacterial vaginosis , which is really an imbalance of good guy and bad guy bacteria (the bad guys are the anaerobic bacteria which tend to be overgrowing, and anaerobes classically produce a foul or rotting type odor)."
"Many women notice after having their periods that there is a different odor," says Sara Gottfried, M.D. , founder and medical director of The Gottfried Center for Integrative Medicine and author of The Hormone Cure . " A lot of women notice a change in scent after having sex . Semen is really basic—it has a pH of around eight—so when you have sex, it changes the pH in the vagina to the basic side of things."
The good news is that vaginas are self-cleaning and they naturally produce some discharge that helps to eject germs and bacteria out of your body, like a bouncer at the exclusive Vagina Club. You have regular discharge , which is mostly white with a little yellow, but when it's grey or neon green or yellow, that's not good.
"Another thing that we do see causing bad odors is a retained tampon," said Dr. Minkin. "If someone does notice a foul odor, check in for a retained tampon (something folks forget to take out at the end of their period). If they find one and cannot remove it, call the health care provider to remove it. That's one of the few times a douche would be helpful , and then follow it up with some RepHresh, an over-the-counter solution that helps keep the pH levels healthy."
As far as smell goes, Dr. Minkin says, "There are times I do see women who complain of an odor, and I don't smell anything abnormal. The one thing I strongly discourage women from doing is using scented products in the vagina, because that tissue is the most delicate in the body, and the most sensitive to irritation like an allergen."
For the most part, don't mess with your vagina. It knows how to take care of itself. If you do see or smell something that doesn't seem right, have a health care professional check it out.
SELF does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional.
© 2022 Condé Nast. All rights reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. SELF may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast. Ad Choices
Done! Please check your email to confirm your subscription
A 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Federal Identification Number (EIN): 52- 197 4611.
We hear this question (and misinformation on this topic) ALL THE TIME, and we decided that today is the day we’re going to answer it. But first, a quick anatomy refresher. Your vulva is all the parts on the outside, including your inner and outer labia and your clitoris. Your vagina is the part that’s on the inside of your body (where tampons and other things can go if you so choose). When most people talk about the way their vagina smells, they really mean their vulva. After all, it’s pretty hard to smell something that’s inside your body.
Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s get back to the question. And the best way to answer it is to start with what your vulva definitely should NOT smell like.
Despite what the “feminine hygiene” (don’t even get us started on how f-ed up that phrase is) aisle at your local drugstore would have you believe, your vulva should not smell like Island Splash, Sheer Floral, Delicate Blossom, Morning Paradise, or Sunset Oasis, whatever any of those things smell like.
We checked in with our on-staff medical provider, Robin Watkins, who’s a nurse practitioner and a certified nurse-midwife, and here’s what she told us: “It’s normal for your vagina and vulva to have a smell, just like it’s normal for your underarms to have a smell. Body smells are a part of being human and come from bacteria breaking down sweat on your skin.”
And there is a range of normal smells. What’s normal for one person may be different from what’s normal for another person. Just like you wouldn’t expect your armpits to smell identical to your friend’s, neither will your vulva smell just like anyone else’s.
It’s absolutely normal for your smell to change. Watkins says that your menstrual cycle, exercising, the weather, having sex, and even eating certain foods, like onions and garlic, can change the way your vulva smells.
Most smells are normal. Smells that could indicate a problem are fishy or sour odors, or any kind of rotting smell. The other thing to watch out for is if you have a smell that’s unusual for you at the same time that you have other symptoms, like pain, itching, unusual discharge (especially if the discharge itself has a smell), burning, bleeding when you have sex, or fever. If that happens, you should definitely check in with a health care provider because it could be a sign of a more serious problem. Also, if you notice an entirely new smell that you’ve never had before, or if your smell is bothering or worrying you, go get it checked out.
Assuming that you’ve ruled out any actual problems, your worry is just that—a worry. Try to internalize that you are not supposed to smell like nothing, and, as we’ve established, that you’re DEFINITELY not supposed to smell like perfume.
Whatever you do, don’t resort to using products marketed for eliminating odor. According to Watkins, “It’s counterintuitive, but using soaps with a lot of perfume or washing inside the vagina, like douching, can actually upset the balance of the bacteria in the vagina, causing a fishy odor.”
In fact, and perhaps we’ve buried the lede here, but neither your vulva nor your vagina need any kind of cleanser ! That includes even the mildest soap. Your vulva only needs to be washed with lukewarm water, and your vagina actually doesn’t even need to be washed with water—it’s self-cleaning. It lives its best life when it’s left alone, like a very introverted and/or feral cat.
Ultimately, we’re going to have to learn to accept that people with vulvas and vaginas are humans, and humans have smells. It’s fine, we promise.
Lauren Kernan is the Director of Content and UX Strategy for Bedsider and Abortion Finder. In her spare time, she can be found sewing or starting and giving up on various other crafts.
Select one of the related topics to find more.
Heat up your weekends with our best sex tips and so much more.
This Is What Your Vagina Is Supposed To Smell Like
The content you see here is paid for by the advertiser or content provider whose link you click on, and is recommended to you by Revcontent. As the leading platform for native advertising and content recommendation, Revcontent uses interest based targeting to select content that we think will be of particular interest to you. We encourage you to view your opt out options in Revcontent's Privacy Policy
Want your content to appear on sites like this? Increase Your Engagement Now!
Want to report this publisher's content as misinformation? Submit a Report
By Christine Schoenwald — Written on Oct 25, 2017
I don't care how comfortable you are with your own body, we all have those moments where we think about how we smell down there.
Maybe it's at the doctor's office before a pelvic exam, or it might be as your partner is making their way to your vagina for some up-close and personal fun. You wonder, "Do I smell normal? And what is normal anyway? What is your vagina is supposed to smell like?"
"A healthy vagina shouldn't smell at all," says Dr. Ronald D. Blatt, chief surgeon and medical director of the Manhattan Center for Vaginal Surgery .
But vaginas often do have smells — not horrible in that they make you pass out, but they have their own odors or fragrances.
Most of the time, these vagina-scents aren't awful — they just smell like a vagina ; like the way you sometimes smell sweaty or how your feet stink in certain shoes. We smell like humans and what your vagina is supposed to smell like depends on certain factors. If you just took a shower and washed your lady-bits, there probably isn't any smell. But if you just had a marathon sex session, your vagina will have an odor.
Every vagina has its own unique scent , which is a combination of the normal bacteria that reside in your vagina, your diet, if you wear natural fabrics or synthetics, your level of hygiene, your bathroom habits, and what your glands secrete. It's important not to forget that your vagina also secretes pheromones that are supposed to trigger sexual interest and excitement.
"I don't know how to describe what your vagina is supposed to smell like, but I can tell you what it shouldn't smell like," says Mary Jane Minkin, M.D., clinical professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences at Yale University School of Medicine. "The vagina shouldn't smell like rotten fish or anything rotting... The odor folks [describe] is from bacterial vaginosis , which is really an imbalance of good guy and bad guy bacteria (the bad guys are the anaerobic bacteria which tend to be overgrowing, and anaerobes classically produce a foul or rotting type odor)."
The pH of the vagina is an important gauge for what's going on down there.
"Many women notice after having their periods that there is a different odor," says Sara Gottfried, MD., founder and medical director of The Gottfried Center for Integrative Medicine and author of The Hormone Cure . "A lot of women notice a change in the scent after having sex. Semen is really basic — it has a pH of around eight — so when you have sex, it changes the pH in the vagina to the basic side of things."
The good news is that vaginas are self-cleaning and they naturally produce some discharge that helps to eject germs and bacteria out of your body, like a bouncer at the exclusive Vagina Club. You have regular discharge, which is mostly white with a little yellow, but when it's grey or neon green or yellow, that's not good.
If your vagina is itchy or there's pain, those are signs that something isn't right. You have an infection or something more serious and should see your doctor as soon as possible.
"Another thing that we do see causing bad odors is a retained tampon," said Dr. Minkin. "If someone does notice a foul odor, check in for a retained tampon (something folks forget to take out at the end of their period). If they find one and cannot remove it, call the healthcare provider to remove it. That's one of the few times a douche would be helpful, and then follow it up with some RepHresh (an over-the-counter solution that helps keep the pH levels healthy)."
As far as smell goes, Dr. Minkin says, "There are times I do see women who complain of an odor, and I don't smell anything abnormal. The one thing I strongly discourage women from doing is using scented products in the vagina because that tissue is the most delicate in the body and the most sensitive to irritation (like an allergen)."
For the most part, don't mess with your vagina. It knows how to take care of itself. If you do see or smell something that doesn't seem right, have a professional check it out.
Christine Schoenwald is a writer, performer, and teacher who loves writing and performing personal narratives. She's had pieces in The Los Angeles Times, Salon, Woman's Day, Purple Clover, Bustle, and is a regular contributor to Ravishly and YourTango . Check out her website or her Facebook page .
YourTango may earn an affiliate commission if you buy something through links featured in this article.
The content produced by YourTango is for informational and educational purposes only. Our website services, content and products are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult your doctor before taking any action. See additional information
© 2022 by Tango Publishing Corporation All Rights Reserved.
Yurina Yanagi
Freemobile Porn
Sexy Femdom