Why Does My Vagina Smell?

Considering that you've had a vulva and vagina since before you were born, it’s shameful that our culture gives you so little information about these important organs, how to keep them healthy, and when they give signals that something’s off. While it’s normal for your vagina and vulva to smell earthy or sweaty, foul smells are a sign that you should consult your doctor.

Your vulva and vagina may smell differently at different times of your menstrual period. Each woman also has a slightly different scent. Get familiar with your normal odors so that you can take action as soon as something changes.

At Modern Wellness Clinic, our providers offer women’s care as part of our medical service. If you live in or near our offices in Las Vegas, Nevada, we help you keep your body, including your vagina, safe and healthy.

Do your vaginal odors bother you? Following are a few of the reasons why they might:

Do you smell like beer or bread?

The pH levels in your vagina constantly shift, which may make you smell different on different days of the month, depending on where you are in your cycle. When your pH level becomes slightly more acidic than normal, you may notice a slightly yeasty smell, like bread or beer.

Most of the time, that yeasty smell isn’t a sign that anything is wrong. However, if it’s accompanied by excessive or foul-smelling discharge, cottage-cheesy discharge, or if you start to itch, contact us right away. You may have a yeast infection.

Do you smell like dead fish?

A fishy odor is usually caused by an imbalance in your vaginal bacteria. Fish odors can be caused by an excess of Gardnerella vaginalis bacteria due to conditions such as:

• Bacterial vaginosis
• Trichomoniasis
• Trimethylaminuria
• Dehydration

The dead-fish odor is caused by a compound called trimethylamine. This substance is also found in the bodies of decaying fish. If you detect a strong fishy odor, especially after sex, or if the odor is accompanied by oddly colored discharge, see us for a sexually transmitted disease (STD) test.

Do you smell like a jar full of pennies?

A coppery or iron smell usually signals the presence of blood and may be strongest around the time of your period. However, you may also experience light bleeding and a metallic smell after sexual intercourse.

Rarely, the metallic scent could be a sign of a more serious type of vaginal bleeding. Contact us if the scent persists after your period or is accompanied by itching or discharge.

Do you smell like bleach?

If you smell like a newly scrubbed kitchen or bathroom, you may have excess ammonia in your urine. Urea, a component of urine, is actually a byproduct of ammonia.

If you don’t wash daily or wear dirty underwear, the ammonia scent may build up over time. However, it could also be a sign that you’re dehydrated. If you don’t drink enough fluids, your urea becomes more concentrated and smells stronger.

Do you smell like pot?

Body odor sometimes smells like cannabis. Or, when it’s strong, you can even smell skunklike. 

A marijuana-ish or skunky smell may be caused by overactivation of your apocrine sweat glands. This is usually due to stress or overpowering emotions. Apocrine glands produce a (usually) odorless milky fluid that then develops pungency when mixed with bacteria from your vagina.

Do you smell like something’s died down there?

When your vagina smells extremely foul, like decaying bodies, you may have left a tampon in there. This is actually a common occurrence, so don’t be embarrassed if your doctor pulls one out.

What to do — and not do — about odor

First, we stress that it’s normal for your vagina to have a slight but distinct odor, just as your armpits do when you sweat. Simply maintaining good hygiene by washing with mild cleanser and water at night, changing your underwear daily, and changing menstrual pads and tampons regularly should keep everything normal.

Don’t scrub your vulvar area or your vagina. Also don’t use douches or other intense cleansers. Never use deodorant, either.

Your vagina is self-cleaning. Overly aggressive cleansing can change your vagina’s pH, damage skin, and lead to other problems.

However, if you do notice an unpleasant odor — especially if it’s accompanied by unusual discharge or itching — contact us right away. It could be an STD, a urinary tract infection (UTI), or a rarer and more serious condition.

Many triggers to unusual vaginal odors are easy to treat. You may simply need a change of habit, change of diet, or a course of antibiotics to clear an infection.

Don’t be shy about vaginal odor; find out what’s going on by phoning our helpful and discreet office staff at 702-463-9159 for women’s care or just use our online booking form.