The Smell of a Vagina

by Joanna Palmieri, M.D.

Let’s face it, not many people really want to talk about the smell of a vagina. Yet it is, after all, just another body part that deserves to be talked about. So here we go! The vagina has many different smells that can indicate a wide range of conditions; which could be healthy, or require evaluation and treatment, or signal different stages in our lives, or are affected by what we consume, the activities we engage in, and even our hygiene practices. It is essential to normalize open dialogue about  the vagina and its composition, just like we talk about our mouths, noses, ears and other body parts without embarrassment. 

To begin, let’s talk about what is in the vagina itself, the hidden vaginal cavity, that certainly does not get a lot of air and is usually covered up by at least one layer of clothing. The vaginal cavity is swimming with bacteria, and these are not only essential to maintain the healthy environment of the vagina, but also alert us to many potential issues and life stages. The majority of the bacterial world in the vagina consists of lactobacillus. They live there very happily producing hydrogen peroxide that maintains the pH balance as well as a component called lactic acid that assists in preventing the less beneficial bacteria from proliferating and colonizing in the vagina. That smell can be defined as tangy or sweet and sour and is normal. Each healthy vagina with the same wide range of bacterial species can smell different, as it should be, and that’s just you! 

The flora in the vagina can change for many reasons, so let’s tackle one that keeps on coming, month after month, year after year: menstrual blood. Blood itself actually has iron in it, and that element can cause a metallic or copper smell to make its way to our nostrils, like pennies. That scent can come and go with a menstrual cycle and can even present as a dirt-like scent as the blood dries up becoming brownish with the end of the cycle itself. Other factors can change the smell of a vagina even more, adding all sorts of varieties, from the foods we consume that can leave wavering traces of things like a garbage disposal to last night’s amazingly strong garlic rich dinner. Those scents will dissipate quickly and should not be a cause for concern. 

Hygiene also can certainly contribute to the very wide array of vaginal odors. For everything the vagina does have, it does not have sweat glands, so it’s not actually the vagina that is sweating, but the surrounding areas of the groin. The mix of bacteria, sweat and hair follicles creates the trifecta of unappealing scents, pungent and ripe. It is important to know that the vagina itself does not need to be cleaned, and doing so with products such as douches or perfumed soaps, or using scented pads, pantiliners and tampons can alter the natural flora and pH causing other issues. It is necessary to wash the groin, hair bearing skin and external genitalia with a mild neutral soap, rinse very well, pat dry rather than rub hard and wear breathable clothing. 

It is also worth mentioning how important it is for the vagina, as well as all our body parts, to stay hydrated. The vagina also has a resident fungus hanging around, and don’t worry, it’s completely normal: the vagina has yeast. Yeast can cause a vaginal infection if it proliferates, usually as the result of external factors that cause a change in the vaginal environment. Usually yeast does not emit an odor and is not a sexually transmitted infection. Yeast can also proliferate with the consumption of some antibiotics, as those medications can destroy even some of the good bacteria that in turn allow the yeast to flourish beyond their equilibrium. The foods we consume can also alter the vaginal yeast environment. Heat can too. That hot tub you want to sit in so badly, that wet bathing suit you don’t change out of, those sweaty work-out clothes and non-breathable clothing garments can also add to the overgrowth of yeast. Frequent yeast infections can alert medical professionals to other possible systemic illnesses, so it is important to discuss any symptoms that seem unusual to your own nose. 

Another scent that can be very unfavorable to our noses and, quite arguably one of scents that people are most embarrassed of, is the fishy smell the vagina can have. This is termed bacterial vaginosis and presents when the pH balance is disrupted by the overgrowth of other vaginal resident bacteria, namely Gardnerella. Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is easily treated by a medical professional but recurrent BV can be due to many factors that should be discussed with your doctor as well. It is important to note that bacterial vaginosis, like yeast, is not a sexually transmitted infection but both can present after anything goes inside the vagina as friction can cause irritation and the normal flora can become altered. Semen itself can also cause a fishy odor to come from the vagina and this is transient. Some sexually transmitted infections can also lead to a fishy odor, so with any fishy scent that does not clear quickly on its own or after your routine healthy hygiene practices, it is important to consult a medical professional for evaluation and treatment. 

The vagina itself is host to many different organisms that all reside inside to keep the vaginal cavity living its best life. Smells can change throughout our lifetime, and are altered by many different factors. Talking about them openly can help to dispel so many myths or incorrect assumptions, and guide us to learn more about that wide wide range of “normal”.