SEX AND SMELL: THINGS THAT CAN AFFECT YOUR VAGINA’S SCENT
When you combine two (or more) sweatin’ and gruntin’ people
doing sexual things to each other, there is bound to be some funky smells
filling up the room. HOWEVER, much of that smell is emanating from your
genitals, because – while we are not saying that they stink – they most
certainly do give off a scent.
Talking specifically about vaginas, its
natural smell should be “a mild,
musky scent that is not unpleasant.”
However, there are times when one’s natural balance can be upset, causing one’s
vagina to give off an odor that is outside of what you consider to be your
normal scent. There can be a number of common – and easily remedied – reasons
for this, such as:
A NEW PARTNER
Say what you will about people, they sure
are full of it: Ideas, hopes, dreams, emotions, thoughts – and chemicals. You
have your own unique chemical makeup, and so do each of your partners. The
fluids we secrete, like vaginal fluid or semen, give off
smells and when mixed, make an altogether new odor.
Vaginal fluid in particular is acidic on the
pH scale, while semen is slightly alkaline. Mixing these acids and alkalis
greatly affects the chemical makeup of the interior of a vagina, and will most
definitely change its scent. If the new partner also has a vagina, then mixing
vaginal fluids (and thus each partner’s unique pH balance) can also affect your
personal pH scale.
In fact, throwing off the pH balance of your
vagina is a very common cause of a change in odor, and can be thrown out of
whack for any number of reasons. Even when the new partner also has a vagina,
the exchange of vaginal fluids will change your vagina’s natural pH, leading to
it perhaps giving off an unfamiliar smell after sex.
A quick note here: one way that fluids can
be exchanged from one vagina to another would be by sharing sex toys. We feel
the need to point out that this should be avoided as much as possible,
especially with new partners with unknown sexual histories. You can share them
of course, but we highly recommend cleaning your sex toys as
they pass from partner to partner.
YOUR VAGINAL PH IS OFF
Speaking of the pH balance that is natural
and unique to your vagina, it’s a balance that can be thrown off for any number
of reasons aside from intimacy with a new partner. For instance, where you’re
at in your menstrual cycle can cause your pH to fluctuate. Otherwise it could
be thrown off due to a new medication, especially a hormonal birth control.
According to many women, even overdoing it on the garlic or onions can leave
them with a different scent down there, as can eating asparagus or drinking one
too many alcoholic beverages.
ARE YOU… UNCLEAN?
Not to say you’re going feral and unwashed, but
having sex after strenuous physical activity (like a post-gym or mid-hike
sexual session) can make things pretty funky down there. Like the rest of your
body, your vagina also has sweat glands. When this sweat mixes with a partner’s
sweat, fluids and skin cells, and you’ll really be itching (figuratively – and
maybe literally) to hit the showers after that particular bit of exercise.
Of course, having sex very soon after a
previous sex session (usually without thoroughly cleaning during the
in-between) can result in an infection, be it a yeast infection, or bacterial
vaginosis – otherwise known as BV.
BEWARE OF INFECTION
When it comes to yeast infections, your
vagina already contains a small amount of yeast, as well as bacteria and a
fungus called candida albicans. There are times when this balance gets thrown
out of whack, usually by wearing damp clothes or being damp for extended
periods of time in your groin area (undergoing a round of antibiotics can also
disrupt the balance). The increase in the amount of candida in your vagina will
not only be uncomfortable, but will affect the way you smell down there.
Luckily, a yeast infection is easily treated
with over-the-counter remedies that are readily available and very effective at
clearing up the issue. However, if the medication or treatment for your yeast
infection isn’t working, it will be time to see a doctor as you likely have a
bigger problem: bacterial vaginosis.
Bacterial vaginosis occurs during a
bacterial overgrowth within the vagina, which results in many of the same
symptoms as a yeast infection. However, because vaginosis is bacterial, not
fungal, yeast infection treatments won’t alleviate the symptoms, which include
discomfort, burning sensations while you pee, and an intense ‘fishy’ odor. When
you suspect that bacterial vaginosis is the cause of your vaginal woes, it’s
time to see your doctor, who can tell you the next course of action
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