Having an embarrassing issue relating to my smell

[fanjoconcerns]

Hello. I'm currently experiencing an ongoing issue relating to the smell of my vagina. I started noticing it a few months ago and it seems to be getting worse. I initially thought it might be BV (bacterial vaginosis) but now I am not sure. It's not an STI as I'm not sexually active and haven't had sex for over a year. I wouldn't want to have sex while the smell is present anyway. The smell is pungent and very prominent. As soon as I do anything that involves getting undressed, it hits me right away. The smell comes back quite quickly after I shower or have a bath. I'm also having to change my knickers at least twice a day. There are no other symptoms other than the unpleasant smell. No discharge, pain, discomfort or anything else.

Nothing has changed regarding my diet or medications I take, and I don't use any specific cleaning products (femfresh etc) on my vulval area other than plain water. I have always been told you aren't supposed to use them. So far I have tried the canesten gel which is supposed to treat BV, but it hasn't worked for me which is why I am not sure that it is BV. Is there anything else I should try or does it generally require a GP appointment to fix if it is indeed BV? With my GP you have to tell the reception staff what your issue is when you call them, and I'm not looking forward to saying what it is on the phone.

Warm water is enough to clean your vulva

@Cyclingagain Thanks for that 🤢.

You do you. I am sorry wouldn't not wash my vulva and arse properly given everything that is produced around it. You carry on with water if that suits you. I will continue to use fragrance free Sanex to wash mine. In the same way I'd expect a man to clean his penis and particularly under the foreskin thoroughly. Or is that "natural" too. No thank you. As an aside, I'm far from taken in by specific products for this purpose. My daughter is though! I have told her she doesn't need an expensive bottle of Femfresh which is essentially a fragrance free liquid soap, to wash her vulva. Anything mild and fragrance free will do the job for far less. She earns her own money though 🤷🏻‍♀️

Lol. bro 1 : I bet I can get a load of women talking about their Fannys. Bro 2 : you're on.....

This thread is so interesting. I am 31 and have always washed my vulva with sanex and never ever had any problems. But I might test it out because I’m intrigued to see if just water works.

I know that a lot of people are saying “well I’ve only ever washed with water and I don’t smell” but also lots of other people have said “well I have used soap for years and never had problems” so 🤷🏻‍♀️
Tonight when I have a shower I’m only going to wash my vulva with water and I’ll see if DP notices because I’m quite intrigued to see. I just can’t wrap my head around how cleaning off pee, sweat and period blood with water would work. But if that’s the advice… I’ll try it

edit to actually respond to OP: I agree with what a lot of others have said. Definitely better to just get it checked out and just tell the receptionist that it is a gynaecological issue 😊

A recurrent sufferer of BV.. l do use aqueous cream to wash my vaginal area .. my gynecological specialist told me years ago.
I don't like metronidazole but l get l clindamycin on prescription.
It's a cream that comes with 7 vaginal application tubes.. it clears up within 5 to 7 days.
See photos.

@MrsFinkelstein

Exactly this.
What a refreshing change to have a real expert than so called " l do this...and don't do that ...or you need soap etc" experts.
I too worked in sexual health at a Well Womens centre.. also had loads and loads of gynecological problems and operations.

And for those suggesting flannels, just no. Use the shower head and thoroughly, water will do. Soaps, shower gels upset the natural balance.

@ChiefWiggumsBoy I've had thrush a number of times and I use to get UTIs a lot years ago so I ended up seeing doctors a fair bit. They would mention how important it was to wash with only warm water to avoid irritation in such a sensitive area. I already did that anyway.

I actually rarely get either of those things now, it was a bit of a phase - I'm a fanatic about having a wee and a rinse right after sex and haven't had a UTI in years.

@fanjoconcerns have you managed to see a healthcare professional yet?

It's literally written by doctors on NHS websites all over saying "use an unscented wash" for your vulva. so those saying the doctor told them the opposite are having a laugh. when you go Into the women's toilet stall you can absolutely tell that these posters have been In before you...

🤣🤣🤣

I used to wash my vulva with soap or shower gel. But, following a few episodes of BV after a Mirena coil, I followed the advice from the sexual health clinic and now just use water or Dermal500 aqueous cream. Never douche with anything. Not had any issues since.

@MrsFinkelstein is quite correct. Soap, even used on just your external vulva, can cause an imbalance of your vaginal ph.

@Cyclingagain you know some men even like being pooed in their mouth.. doesn't make it any less gross for most normal people.

You so can. It's fucking grim.

You should be washing your vulval area with soap. The no soap rule is for internal/douching. Not the labias/vulva. You still need to wash those parts down there with soap. Water won't do a single thing. Do you also wash your anus with only plain water and nothing else, too? Because it's the same thing. The smell is there because of the lack of hygiene.

This is absolute nonsense! Soap on your labia and vulva does not cause a ph imbalance of your internal vagina, any more than washing your anus with soap causes an imbalance in your colon.

I don't know where this rubbish of no soap started, it seems to be a strictly UK thing, but it needs to stop. It's bad hygiene. No wonder so many people stink link bloody rotting fish! Use proper hygiene and wash your labia and vulva. I promise you soap won't somehow swim up inside your vagina. 🙄Some people on here are absolutely fucking disgusting minges that out minge the word minge.

Yes you can, I agree

Well funnily enough there was a thread recently where it emerged the OP only washed her arse with water and couldn't understand why she smelled so bad. A quick wash with soap cured her . Who'd have thunk it?

Where did this thing about not washing where you urinate and bleed from, originate? It's like some stupid wives tale. People are getting internal douching confused with external. That people think it's ok to never wash the external parts where human waste comes out of, wtf and WHEN tf did this take hold?!??? OF COURSE they fucking stink like crazy. Duh! That's what happens if you don't wash down there!

I just don't understand. I really don't understand. I mean, who.... why, I mean, who ever gave them the idea not to wash with soap? When tf did this weird trend start? Did no one teach them how to wash? Did they not have a mother? I mean, how tf does this even happen, that people don't know to wash with soap down there? When you think about it, down there needs washing with soap more than any other part of your body, so the whole thing is so bizarre.

To me there's a difference between the parts of your vulva etc that are normal skin (outer labia I think) and the parts that are an internal type of skin (inner labia etc) like that on the inside of your mouth. Personally I would do all the outside skin with soap and water like the rest of my outside skin and the other bits with water only.

The inner labia (the small lips) that have urine and blood pass through them, need to be washed with soap. Not doing so will cause infects and UTIs. And make you stink worse than week old fish left in the sun.

^ Yup.

“And make you stink worse than week old fish left in the sun.” But the comments! 🤣

OP hasn’t even come back!

I don't understand how you could easily remove period blood with just water? If you wear pads some of the blood gets outside the vagina and it needs cleaning with soap or shower gel. I use Lidl's version of Sanex. It would hum otherwise.

I just use a Brillo pad and bleach.