Hi readers, I’m going to be talking about the female genitalia and I’m expecting both sexes to be interested in reading till the end of this post. We’ve all heard or seen men talk about how stinky some vaginas are and how unhygienic some females are down there. Some describe the smell as fishy or so bad like a rotten egg or so pungent like that of an onion. Now, how many of you know what a normal, healthy vagina smells like? Is it supposed to have a floral scent, a pungent smell or is it supposed to smell like absolutely nothing? Sit back, you’ll find it all out in this post.
TO THE GIRLS:
Most of you do not know your vagina well enough. You’ve heard or noticed a smell after your period a couple of times but is that all there is to it? Can you tell when something is off with your vagina? And do you even know what actions to take when you notice something odd? Or do you panic anytime you notice a slight difference in your vaginal discharge and cause all hell to break lose and accuse your partner of cheating and infecting you with a an STI when there’s absolutely nothing wrong with you?
A normal vagina has a ‘smell’. No! let me rephrase, a vagina’s smell comprises of many different odors. This odor varies throughout the menstrual cycle and is usually noticeable during sexual intercourse. Now this is the more reason why you needed to read this post just so you don’t feel embarrassed when your ‘normal’ smell is all over the place after your intercourse. And men, it’s the reason why you shouldn’t run a lady down because of a smell which may actually be normal for a vagina. Unless it’s stated as abnormal, the woman isn’t dirty and she doesn’t have a smelly pussy.
THE NORMAL VAGINA SMELL
The general normal healthy vagina smells like a VAGINA. Lmao! That’s the best description I could come up with because words cannot describe our smell down there entirely. All you need to know is, the smell isn’t unpleasant but rather appealing. It’s the kind that you can describe as ‘sweet’ enough for you to want to poke your nose down there to inhale more of. It’s the kind that will make a male want to keep your worn panty in his bedroom, just so he can inhale the fragrance anytime to take him to the edge when you’re not around.
WHY VAGINAS SMELL DIFFERENT
Though there is a general vagina smell like I’ve described above, every female has a unique smell as a result of many factors (pH, sweat and diet)
pH of the vagina:
You must’ve heard already about the natural self-cleansing mechanism of the vagina. Yes! That’s what causes for the vagina to maintain its fragrance when everything is okay with the woman down there and when they do the right things that I’m going to state later in this post.
The vagina is acidic with a pH ranging from 3.9 to 4.8. This acidity is as a result of the secretions of the natural occurring bacteria in the vagina that serve to keep the vagina healthy. This is what makes the vagina self-sufficient and is the more reason why ladies are advised to avoid douching because it tends to wash away these necessary bacteria required to keep the vagina protected and healthy.
So many factors can cause for this acidic pH of the vagina to be altered and when this happens, it causes for the vagina to have a slightly sour smell which can range from being okay to being very unpleasant.
The Factors:
- Unprotected sex: alkaline semen mixing with acidic vaginal fluid, alters the pH.
- Douching
- Oral sex: saliva can alter the pH of the vagina
- Menstrual period: alkaline blood raises the pH level
Sweat
The vagina can also have a slight musty smell (sweaty sort of) as a result of sweat buildup and though it’s not abnormal, it doesn’t mean nothing can be done about it. To keep that place smelling ‘fresh’ with no musty odor, wear lose fitting underwear with cotton crotch and allow your vagina space to breathe. Some of you girls are in the habit of wearing too many undergarments just to feel fully covered and in the end, you do yourself more harm than good. This actually causes for too much heat to be trapped down there, making the vulva moist and in the end provides suitable conditions for yeast growth. And when you get yeast infections (candidiasis) you blame your village people.
TIP: Try going pantyless sometimes. It helps!
You should also practice good personal hygiene:
- Wash your vagina regularly with water and mild soap or no soap at all.
- Make sure to avoid douching because it can alter the pH of the vagina and make it smell
- Wear clean undergarments and if you sweat a lot, make sure to change them frequently.
What you eat
Your vagina smell is directly affected by what you eat; if you eat lots of ONION or garlic or spices, expect to have a similar pungent smell coming from your vagina; it’s what is usually described as the ONION SMELL. It doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong; you are perfectly normal. It’s even said that on a normal day, you should be able to smell a vagina from one foot away.
Usually these ‘food smells’ shouldn’t last over 48 hours. What you can do to make it flush out faster from your body is to drink lots of water and if after three days, the smell still persists, go and see a health-care professional to find out what exactly is causing the smell to persist.
Finally, if your vagina smell doesn’t come with any other symptoms like itchiness, discharge having an off-color (usually green or yellow) or one that looks like cottage cheese which indicates a yeast infection, it is very unlikely that your vaginal odor is abnormal.
Foods To Include In Your Diet For A Better, Welcoming and Addictive Smell
- Lots of water
- Pineapple
- Honey
- Cranberries
- Peppermint tea
Off-Odors And Their Causes
1. Fishy Smell
This is the most common smell I’ve heard guys complain about. Any girl with a fishy smell down there has a bacterial infection (Bacterial Vaginosis). It happens as a result of a change in the vaginal pH due to an overgrowth of normally occurring vaginal bacteria and is treated by the intake of antibiotics like metronidazole orally (flagyl) or in a vaginal gel form (metrogel). I’ll advice you to seek a health-care professional’s advice concerning the right dosage of the oral pills to be taken in.
NOTE- Bacteria vaginosis is not sexually transmitted but it can be developed after unprotected sex or oral sex because of the body fluids and saliva altering bacterial functioning down there.
2. Yeasty Smell (Like bread or Beer)
In this case, the smell isn’t pungent and your partner may not even notice there’s something wrong with you. But this doesn’t mean it is safe for you to have unprotected sex during this period.
Though this rarely happens, yeast infection can be transmitted to your partner. More reason why you should take it seriously and take action when you notice this off-smell
Some men tend to develop symptoms of skin irritation of the penis from a yeast infection after sexual intercourse with an infected partner. If you notice this smell, see a doctor or health-care professional for treatment.
The smell is accompanied by itchiness and a cottage cheese-like discharge. One way you can prevent it is by allowing your vagina space to breathe.
3. Rotten egg
This is very pungent and very embarrassing for a lady and it’s caused by Trichomoniasis. This infection is sexually transmitted and requires immediate attention. It is accompanied by a yellow or green discharge, burning, itching and discomfort. See a health-care professional immediately you notice these symptoms and make sure to take all the medication to fully eliminate the infection.
NOTE- since Trichomoniasis is sexually transmitted, if you have it, it’s likely that your partner also has it. You need to ensure that your partner also gets treated before engaging in unprotected sex again and always makes sure to avoid keeping multiple sexual partners or just use a condom.
AN EXERCISE FOR THE LADIES
I want you girls to undertake this exercise. Guys! Tell your partners, female friends or family members to try this. Starting from now till the end of the next three months, pay close attention to your vagina. Get a diary if you can or just note down your observations on your phone or any other electronic gadget.
Starting from today, I want you to note down your smell down there and discharge every single day till the end of this study period. Are you wondering how to do this? Just smell your ‘cotton’ panty and put your finger down there and smell. Now, describe the smell. Do this every single day there leaving out your period days till the end of the three months.
When that period is over, notice the similarities between your smell and discharge for the three different months. Note down the dominant smell; that is your vagina scent. You should know this smell by heart and know the various normal smells that are characteristic of the various points of your cycle, just so that when something is off, you’ll know and take the necessary precautions to deal or combat the issue in the earliest possible time to save yourself embarrassment and future health repercussions
I’m done! You must have so many questions you want answers to, just leave them in the comments or hit me up on my social media platforms and I will be there to answer.
Kindly share!
