5 Common Vaginal Odors (and Exactly What They Mean)
Women want answers about their body odors, and the answers are in. (Photo: Getty Images)
Earlier this year, economist Seth Stephens-Davidowitz analyzed Google data to figure out what Americans are really thinking about sex. And guess what? They’re all pretty insecure about their genitals. According to his findings, which were published in the New York Times, men are most concerned about penis size, while “women are most frequently concerned that their vaginas smell like fish followed by vinegar, onions, ammonia, garlic, cheese, body odor, urine, bread, bleach, feces, sweat, metal, feet, garbage and rotten meat.” I don’t know about you, but my high school health class was mostly about avoiding drugs and preventing STDs. Nobody taught me about my vagina. I didn’t know what labias should look like, if discharge is normal (it is), or what a vagina is supposed to smell like.
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The truth is, there is no single way a healthy vagina should smell, and that’s normal. “Every woman has her own scent and it’s a totally normal part of who she is. You are most sensitive to your own natural odor, and it’s very unlikely that anyone else around you can smell it,” explains Dr. Vanessa Cullins, Vice President for External Medical Affairs at Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Many women would describe their healthy vaginal odor as being musky, and despite comparisons to gardens and flowers, vaginas will never smell like a bed of roses. That said, a healthy vagina shouldn’t smell fishy either.
There are a few factors that can lead to changes in vaginal odor: infections or STIs, exercising and sweating, hormone levels in your menstrual cycle, and changes in the pH of your vagina. When should you see a doctor? Dr. Cullins says, “an unpleasantly smelly odor can be a sign of an infection that needs to be treated right away, especially if it’s accompanied by an unusual discharge.” Your body is smart. When your vagina’s trying to tell you something, don’t ignore it.
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Below is a list of five common vaginal odors to look out for, explained with the help of Dr. Vanessa Cullins and Dr. Debora Nucatolah, Senior Director of Medical Services, at Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
1. Fishy
Possible cause: Bacterial Vaginosis (BV for short)
Treatment: Antibiotics
Dr. Cullins says: “There are many different kinds of bacteria growing in your vagina. These bacteria are completely normal and keep the vagina healthy. However, bacterial vaginosis (BV for short) is caused by an imbalance of different kinds of bacteria. Sometimes BV has no symptoms at all; other times, symptoms may include a thick, frothy discharge that’s usually white or grey, a strong fishy smell (especially after sex or washing with soap), and itching.”
(Photo: Getty Images)
2. Bread or Beer
Possible cause: Yeast Infection
Treatment: Antifungal medication (one option: Diflucan)
Dr. Nucatolah says: “Yeast infections are caused when a yeast called candida (CAN-di-duh) grows too much. Most people have small amounts of yeast in their mouths and intestines. Healthy women have yeast in their vaginas. But sometimes this yeast overgrows and causes a yeast infection. The discharge looks like cottage cheese. It can be so thick that you might notice a thick white coating in and around your vagina.”
(Photo: Getty Images)
3. Sour or Stale
Possible cause: Trichomoniasis
Treatment: Antibiotic
Dr. Nucatolah says: “You may have heard of trichomoniasis, or ‘trich’ (pronounced like the word trick), but many people are not sure what it is. Trich is one of the most common causes of vaginitis. Trichomoniasis (trick-oh-mo-NEYE-ah-sis) is an infection caused by a protozoan, a microscopic, one-cell animal called a trichomona, which is a sexually transmitted infection that can cause an unpleasantly smelly discharge. More than eight million Americans are infected with it every year.”
(Photo: Getty Images)
4. Onions or Garlic
Possible cause: Natural BO
Treatment: Take a shower.
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Dr. Nucatolah says: “If you’ve eaten a lot of onions or garlic, you can excrete an onion or garlic smell in your urine, and your vaginal discharge may change temporarily in smell, as well. Within 24 to 48 hours of eating these pungent foods, your discharge, vagina, and urine should return to their normal smell. In women, the opening called the urethra from the bladder to outside the vulva, the vaginal opening, and the anus are all separate openings but they are located close together. Sometimes you may think it is your vulva or vagina that smells but it may be your urine or feces or anus. The best thing to do is to wash with soap and water, and then try to decide where the smell is actually coming from.”
(Photo: Getty Images)
5. Rotten Meat / Something Dying
Possible cause: Forgotten tampon
Treatment: GO TO THE DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY.
Dr. Nucatolah says: “If a tampon has been forgotten for days or even longer, the smell is extremely foul and should prompt you to see a healthcare provider to make sure all of the tampon is found and removed, and to determine whether you need further treatment.”
(Photo: Getty Images)
By Vera Papisova, Teen Vogue
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