|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
All materials on this website are copyrighted. Copyright © 2005-2009 by The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York. All rights reserved.
Mac users: please note that our site is optimized for the Safari browser. |
|
Miscellaneous
|
Genital odor
[Reader Responses]
Originally Published: June 06, 1997
~ Last Updated / Reviewed on: January 11, 2008
|
  |
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Most Recent
(1) Dear Alice, Regarding the "Genital odor" letter — could it possibly be that the odor is not from the vagina, but rather from the skin between the upper thigh and mons pubis, or between the labia majorae and minorae? That being the case, it is possible that the smell is from "jock itch" or a fungal infection and should be treated accordingly. I also have overactive sweat glands and am prone to jock itch now and again. Lamisil was the treatment, and worked great. I'm told that OTC products are also effective, but I don't know if they would be bad for the tissues of the labia, as I am not an owner of such an organ.
[back to top] i have a suggestion for women whose crotch areas sweat a lot and smell bad by the end of the day: it might also be urine which dries on the hair and accumulates, sort of, especially if the hair is longish. i have this problem and have tried: 1) trimming the hair a little - NOT A GOOD IDEA - it will curl inward and scratch where you don't wanna be scratched in public. and 2) gently wiping the afflicted area with damp tissue, paper towels, or those special wipes made for after performing bodily functions. this seems to really help. the wipes made for women to use "down there" are a really "down there" sort of thing: very highly perfumed, pink flowery individual wrappers, etc. paranoia-inducing. tell that girl to wash that thang off a little during the day!!!
[back to top] I have a few comments rather then a question in response to the data bank of Q&A's on sexuality. The women who have stinky vaginas might try to change their diet. Switching to a diet of more fruits, vegetables, and grains while avoiding junk food, meats, dairy, yeast, alcohol, tobacco and might produce a more agreeable odor. It has been shown that in both men and women, those who consume a healthy diet alter the smell of their juices. I, myself, don't maintain the proper diet I should but both my partner and I notice a change in the consistency and odor of our juices when we consume a healthy diet.
[back to top] Female vaginal odor (especially the sweaty armpit-like smell) is VERY arousing, and if you are fortunate enough to have such an odor, LEAVE IT ALONE. if your mate doesn't like it, trade him in on one who does!!!
[back to top] Dear Readers, Thanks for your comments, suggestions, and anecdotes about Genital odor in Alice's Sexuality archive. Alice! readers continue to be interested in this particular question and answer. Alice would like to especially address these three reader responses: To reader #1, yes, a fungal infection does produce a mild odor, but it could also be one that is secondarily infected with bacteria, which has an increased odor. So, it's a good idea to treat this infection. There are a variety of topical over-the-counter (OTC) products that work well for treating fungus on the vulva, thigh, or mons pubis area. If self-treatment is inadequate or ineffective, see your health care provider. (FYI, Lamisil generally is not indicated for this problem.) To reader #2, your second suggestion ("gently wiping the afflicted area with damp tissue, paper towels, or those special wipes made for after performing bodily functions") is a good idea. Alice also suggests a cheaper alternative -- after you urinate, rinse yourself with a squirt bottle filled with water. If you prefer to use wipes, it's best to stick with the plain ones rather than the perfumed or alcohol-based products, which can be irritating and/or drying. And, to reader #3, your anecdotal observations of the changes in yours and your partner's odors to diet are interesting, but it does not necessarily mean that other people will respond similarly. A person's body odor may be a very individual thing, with some people responding more, or less, to certain foods, such as onions and garlic. Regardless of whether or not diet affects the smell and/or strength of your bodily odors, eating mostly fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and limiting tobacco use and consumption of junk foods and alcohol, is certainly sound advice for anyone!
|
Go Ask Alice! is not an emergency or instant response service.