Bit of an embarrassing question…

[Whatslovegottodowithit123]

Name changed for this one because, it’s a personal question!! 😳😳

So every morning I have a shower. And I’d say, as the day goes on, I start to smell more and more…. down there. By the end of the day, there is an odour left on my underwear. I wouldn’t say it’s super super strong, but at the same time, I would not feel comfortable having sex or being intimate with someone without washing myself.

I usually don’t shower in the evenings unless I’m getting up early the next day. I wouldn’t say I sweat loads all day, but I can have my moments especially as I have to get on packed trains and tubes to get to work which are hot even in the winter, and also if I end up walking a lot. I am also quite overweight and my legs / thighs do chaf together.

Basically, my question is, is this normal? I am pretty sure I don’t have any infection at the moment. It’s not bothering me that much but at the same time it makes me self conscious.

Also, is it bad to wear pants to bed underneath pjs?

Are you the same person stressing out about their pyjamas??

Omg no I swear I haven’t even seen those posts! Genuine poster here I promise

Honestly I'm getting weird vibes. Sorry if you're legit. It's the combination of legs chafing, being smelly, people in public spaces being able to smell you, and wearing pants to bed that made me question.

If you're legit, yes, normal.

If this is a legit problem then I'd suggest seeing your GP/nurse and being swabbed for BV.
Also try to use neutral, unscented soaps and avoid really tight clothing.

Have a wash

🙄

She does. Read the OPs port.

If you smell at the end of the day, you need another shower or at least a wash. Some natural odour is normal but if it's unpleasant, it's not.

Wow, it’s actually quite concerning people think I am a troll… the above is 100% genuine but obviously if people think I’m making it up then it’s a problem.

How old are you? Genuine question - I had this in my early 40s but it's gone away since starting HRT.

Also are you washing underwear on a hot enough wash or with bio powder/liquid? If not, you'll never kill off the odour-causing bacteria.

BV. I was plagued for years with it. Eventually a very nice female gp gave me repeat prescriptions. I swam a lot and also lived in a hot country , then I moved to London and worked out a lot. Tbh , it stopped once I had a baby. It's disconcerting until you get a proper diagnosis. Then it's just a massive pain the arse. I had 5 yrs probably dealing with it. It's a female problem so no one cares sadly .

You mean your vagina? It's not a rude word..
Well l think could be BV.. but I'd get a swab at the clinic . If you treat BV as thrush or Thrush as BV it makes the symptoms worse.. so you definitely need to know which one..
I have redcurrant BV.. l get Clindamycin on prescription.. a cream with 7 applicators .
But everyone is different .

Have a shower twice daily.

Ditch the bed pants, to allow the air to circulate.

Wear cotton underwear.

Get tested for any BV etc.

It's most likely to be BV and you can prove that by treating. If it doesn't go away then you should see your doctor for examination.It is important that when you wash you don't use soap around your vulva and particularly your vagina. It is irritating to sensitive skin and upsets your natural balance. You can use an emollient such as dermol if you wish ( not inside) .

Don’t wear knickers to bed

Get rid of your bush if you have one- maybe go all off to help the issue if you’ve not already

Try vagisil

Losing weight would help but I know that’s so hard

Wear only cotton knickers

If it’s a strong smell see GP. A slight odour at the end of a long day is totally normal

Thanks for the advice. I am 30, I do only wear cotton pants but I will stop wearing them at night. I get a hollywood wax every 5 weeks so all hair is removed then.

I also just did a BV self-test and the swab was normal. So maybe I am just sweaty... or not washing my underwear properly. I wash at 30 with a non-bio washin tablet.

@yikesanotherbooboo I do use shower gel everywhere, and scrub with a sponge. Maybe that's making a difference. What kind of soap should I use?

No soap in your nether regions , you can use things like dermol to wash with

Your vagina is supposed to smell like a vagina. The smell may change through the month as you go through your cycle, as will your discharge.

Please ignore the people saying you need to wash more, this is a sure fire way to developing BV.

No soap is safe for your vagina, it is self cleaning. This includes femfresh etc. Genitals are not supposed to smell of flowers.

Loose clothes and cotton underwear, which I see you already say you use. I don’t think there is any evidence that ‘airing’ yourself overnight changes your vaginal pH or the amount of discharge you have, but you can give it a go! I do however think there is some evidence that removing pubic hair increases your risk of infection, so you could try giving that a miss?

If the smell isn’t fishy/offensive I wouldn’t be worried about it at all.

So I’ve got another problem at the moment 😞

Basically I’ve got a cut that is like a slit (sorry probably tmi) from the top of my vulva upwards. Maybe about 2-3cm long. I actually get a cut here quite regularly but this time it’s not going away and seems to be getting worse. For example I just had a shower and the hot water was stinging it.

I’ve tried lathering it on sudocreme but that’s not really helping.

Anything else I could try or should I ring the GP?

That's fungus, ring the GP.

@Whatslovegottodowithit123 i had my skin having very fine cuts it took forever it was painful and itchy. No thrush and didn’t smell. I’ve got a steroid cream I put on if I can feel it. Honestly had it about 2 years and was bloody miserable with it. Get checked out at a gp/nurse etc I had swabs and bloods done and was fine. One thing was to check if I was pre diabetic. In terms of the smell, I don’t think anyone is super fresh at the end of the day and all vulvas/vaginas have a smell. I always give myself a quick freshen up if I think I’m going to be intimate. However it really does depend what the smell is, does it actually smell bad or is it like I’m a bit sweaty.

Could you be pregnant cuz I got weirdly smelly down there when pregnant even though I washed?

No I definitely am not pregnant. But something not right down there. I’ve got the cut and it’s itchy too.