You’ve likely heard this from your mom, a close friend, or an ob-gyn, but allow us to join that list of confidants: It’s normal to have some kind of vaginal odor, and you shouldn’t feel the need to “freshen” it up with fragranced (and potentially harmful) products that try to mask an internal organ as a bouquet or a fruit salad.
To get a bit more technical, your vagina “can have a mild or slight odor that’s not unpleasant,” Lauren Streicher, MD, a professor of clinical obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, tells SELF. And similar to sweat, this scent varies a ton from person to person, according to Jessica Shepherd, MD, a board-certified ob-gyn, minimally invasive surgeon, and women’s health care expert at Rappore, a therapy services and medication management practice in New York City.
Odds are, everything smells just fine down there. But if there’s a change in your vaginal odor that feels far afield from your personal normal and it doesn’t go away, it’s worth touching base with a doctor to figure out what’s up. Read on to learn why your vagina’s natural scent can go awry—and when it’s time to loop in a pro for help.
1. Your period is triggering natural changes in your body.
Your vaginal odor might be a little more intense when you’re bleeding, and that’s to be expected, Dr. Shepherd tells SELF. Blood alters your vagina’s natural pH level, a measure of its acidity. So you may pick up on a metallic smell, which should fade once your period wraps up, she says. That said, a pH change can also throw off your vaginal flora—a dynamic and delicate collection of microorganisms that keep you healthy—during your period, which can sometimes set the stage for an infection to take hold (more on this below). If you notice an unusual odor that lingers well beyond your period, it’s worth getting checked out.
2. You forgot about a tampon in there.
Yes, it happens—and more often than you’d think, Dr. Streicher says. You might insert a just-in-case tampon toward the end of your period and blank on it; forget that you already have one up there before putting in a new one; or have sex with a tampon in because it slipped your mind, and so it gets pushed sideways into the back of your cervix, she says.
The most universal sign of a forgotten tampon? A seriously strong odor, according to Dr. Streicher. That’s largely thanks to old menstrual blood, which has an intense scent when it oxidizes, she explains. This situation can also shift your vaginal pH, allowing it to become a more likely breeding ground for bacteria.
Thankfully, a forgotten tampon smell will make itself well-known within a day or two. If you’re too squeamish to poke around for it yourself, can’t find it because it’s really far up there, or just can’t remember if you even put a tampon in (again, it’s not just you), see your ob-gyn. They can “use a little instrument to fish out a tampon if there is one, and it literally takes 10 seconds,” Alyssa Dweck, MD, FACOG, a New York–based gynecologist, previously told SELF.
3. Things got a little messy during sex.
Things can, understandably, smell a little different down there after you have sex. Your fluids are mixing with another person’s fluids—you’re both wet, probably a little sweaty, swapping spit, the whole shebang. Plus, if semen is involved and winds up inside you, it has a higher pH compared to the pH range your vagina should be in, Dr. Streicher says, so that can cause an odor to develop. An “off” smell usually clears up on its own within a day or two—or after you shower—but if it persists, call your doctor.
4. You’re not drinking enough fluids (or having issues peeing).
If your pee kind of smells like cleaning supplies, it might mean you should reach for your water bottle. Ammonia is stored in your liver as glutamine (the most abundant amino acid, a building block of protein, in your body) and it’s regularly released into your urine—so when you’re dehydrated, a higher concentration of ammonia builds up in your pee. If there’s a little residue left on your vulva—whether the perfect wipe evaded you or you’re dealing with some level of incontinence—you might sniff an ammonia-like scent.
5. You’ve been super sweaty lately.
While your vagina doesn’t have sweat glands, your vulva does. And lots of things can amp up perspiration, like a grueling workout, tight and stuffy fabrics, or a sweltering commute to work. Sweat can form its own scent, so you may get a little odorous down there when moisture gets trapped, Dr. Streicher says.
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