My vagina stinks

[timewarp6]

I can't live with it anymore, it smells horrible even 2 minutes after showering. I don't use soap down there and I don't have an STI. I have been treated for thrush and no change.

It's worse in the hot weather but I'm feeling self conscious all the time. I can smell it when I'm sitting down on the sofa. People say it's normal to have an odour but when does it become abnormal?

I can't even describe the smell - it isn't fishy but it's unpleasant

So don’t use it then @Calledyoulastnightfromglasgow the one I use isn’t revolting it’s lovely (and necessary) a very similar texture to the Hydro @ponchek uses. Point I was making was my gynae and the one before both said to use something gentle to clean with, internally your fine externally however you will get a build up of dead skin, discharge etc and it will start to smell.

Bbang thx that's really useful to know what the experts say. They should know, dealing with thousands of them!!

Surely it's a bit like with blokes - they also need to move the skin (if it's still there) and clean around , otherwise would quickly become rank?!!

The problem is: the products aimed at this area are too often actually irritating to it. And just water is ok but only if v regularly washing.

Our ointments win i think .... try, OP!

We should do an MN survey on Hydromol/the other one .....

Sorry if this is a cancel the cheque type response, I have RTFT I promise. I just wanted to say that the NHS advice above is pretty clear - it would appear that a lot of women, even on here, are confused about the vagina/vulva difference (inside/outside for clarity) and have read something somewhere once that said 'don't use soap' relating to the vagina and decided not to wash their vulva - ever, which is rank.

It must stink to high heaven! It explains a lot about a few women I've worked with, especially in summer & cringed for but not known how to say something/if I should say something. I've always, always washed daily (more during my horrendous periods, sometimes more in hot weather) with shower gel. Never had thrush or bv or I hope a stinky vulva. I totally agree with all of the pp's who point out how you wouldn't just wash other potentially smelly parts of your body with just water (feet, armpits, bum..) so why would you leave an area that sweats, has discharge etc unwashed!?

Absolutely agree with the don't use soap IN your vagina advice, that is self cleaning, your vulva though - that is not in any way self cleaning and will smell, all the time if you don't wash it..(& people will notice, not just you - if you get a whiff yourself then just imagine what people smell who aren't used to the smell of your unwashed fanny ). Just give it a good wash OP, every day, that'll sort it!

Absolutely agree with the don't use soap IN your vagina advice

Why is this advice out there though?? Why was it ever necessary to make it widely known that it’s not necessary to stick your fingers up your fanny and lather up it makes no sense to me because I don’t believe that women were regularly doing this to the point that nhs and gynaecologist and magazine advice columns had to regularly advise people not to - as pp have said I still think they are referring to the mucus membrane area - not the inside.

Sorry to divert from fannies but interesting about the Hydromol. Looks very similar to the cream we had privately prescribed (not available on the NHS) many years ago for DS’s eczema which was horrendous. Every cream we got made things worse until this one which was preservative free. Bingo. Terrible eczema almost gone in three weeks.

Back to fannies...... I read somewhere that the home BV tests aren’t suitable for menopausal women as you can get a false positive due to ph changes. Is this correct?

@Pinkblueberry
i'm a lesbian so totally not had this issue but if I had sex with a man without a condom I feel like I would want to go inside to wash it out .. maybe that's an issue with some? or maybe that would just be me

Baskininthegarden

Never had that issue, I have never used condoms, been married 30 years. I find a good shower and am fresh again, no need to go rooting around inside there

I don’t know if this has already been said , but my friend has had this (bad smell) she had a smear and was then referred for a colposcopy where they have taken away some of her cervix.
Definitely see a doctor.

@ipadipod was the smell caused by the issue with her cervix? Or were they two concurrent problems?

@Baskininthegarden that’s an interesting thought, but personally if I felt that someone’s penis wasn’t clean enough to be up there, that would be a definite deal breaker!
Interesting points about condoms - I’ve definitely always seen them as a contraceptive and protection against STDs, not a means to keep your fanny clean, like a literal rubber glove

MawnyStannit my friend was told that the cervix was causing the smell . She’s waiting for test results now.

You shouldn't wash your vagina.
You should wash your vulva, but just plain water is fine.

www.healthline.com/health/how-to-clean-your-vagina#soap-vs-no-soap

Equally while men should clean under the foreskin, just water is fine

www.nhs.uk/live-well/sexual-health/how-to-keep-a-penis-clean/

Well, plain water is fine if you still want to stink afterwards

yes there is a different between being technically clean enough to just not get infected and properly clean so you dont smell

@ponchek I just googled hydromol and noticed they do a shower emollient too, have you tried that or purely the ointment?

I don't have any issues with my fine china (washed with soap - but not right up my Mary!) , but I do have awful dry skin on my lower legs so I want to order some of this wonder ointment

Why does the NHS tell women they need to use soap and tells men they don't, I wonder?

Friend of mine had this issue. Had all the tests under the sun and nothing seemed to determine what it was. Not thrush or BV or anything. Anyway she had been on some antidepressants for sometime and when she came off them the smell went away. She had never tied the two together as smelly vagina wasnt on the list of side effects but when she came off them she realised that the smell had started the same time she started taking them! You havent started any new medication or anything? Especially anything which affects hormones of any description?

If a man came at me with an unsoaped bell-end, I’d....well I’d be speechless with horror and it certainty wouldn’t be allowed anywhere near me.

Anyway, I thought dirty willies caused cervical cancer.

@HariboLectar my shins used to be so dry and I swapped to bioderma shower oil and then use sanctuary wet skin jelly (it has exfoliating acids in) slapped on wet skin. They're silky smooth now and the bumps on my arms have gone too

@rosieponythat reminds me of an ex who never waged his bell properly any mention and he’d become offended and he obviously felt he was cleaning enough not to change

It was gross

And he still expected me to go down on him

@Rebelwithallthecause
*
Waged his bell*

😆 oops

I have read this thread with interest.

I have two comments; I don't use soap. I use water and shower twice a day. I don't smell. But there have been times in my life that I have smelled a bit in that area and I honestly think it was hormonal. I'm peri-menopausal and that doesn't seem to be having any impact on me in that way (plenty of others).
The other thing is, I do think shape has some part to play in how we see / think about our genital area.
I have a large mons (or mom's) pubis and large outer labia, so everything on me seems very 'tucked away'. I know that not everyone looks like this and that some women's labia, clitoris are quite exposed.
I don't know if this makes sense to anyone else and to be honest it's not something I've ever discussed before (so be nice).

Rub your finger down there now and sniff it. Do it now and report back.

I can’t believe that people don’t use soap down below.
My mother taught me to wash my bum , pubic area, vulva with a very mild soap. The process would be repeated twice.
We would then use tissue paper to dab dry.
During a period one would wash at least twice a day.
I always wear a thin pad and change it every few hours.