vaginal smell after sex

I am 21 years old and have been married for almost 4 months. I have noticed that after sex, I have a foul smell from my vagina. My husband and I were both virgins when we got married, and obviously there is no one else. I always empty my bladder and clean off after sex. The smell seems to be more noticable if we've had more sex in a short period of time. Also the smell doesn't show up until usually the next day, but lingers for a day or two! I feel like the whole world can smell it! Also, there is no discharge, and I've had yeast infections before so I know its not that. I am on birth control, ortho tricyclin.  Please let me know if there is anything that I can do about this! Otherwise I have my yearly appt in 3 months....

[AnnieBrooke]

It sounds a lot like bacterial vaginosis, an infection noted specifically for a foul smell.  Probably should push up your ob-gyn appointment and see if they will check for it.  Both partners should be treated, if that is what it is.

[islandprincess]

that sounds like an yest infection in deed.....& remember sperms live up to about 2 days in a ladies vagina so hence the reason for the smell lasting for 2 days & more...so really check  OB on the real hon...one island love...:)

[lucylocket2]

I agree with both of the above. What about using a douch? Wonder if that would help for the time being. I was so worried when I first got married I did it a lot. Your not suposed to though. So. I saved the bottle and filled it with warm water and did it that way. I don't know if it's good or not. I would post and ask other people too. Try eating yogurt. It will help.

[Wanting]

LOL you are too funny!  I agree with you.

[mslkpage]

Sometimes, it's scary what gets posted on here, and sometimes, it's just damn silly. All of us TTC'ers would be reeking to high heaven if the sperm was making us funky.

barelymarried, it does sound like BV. See if you can't move your dr's appt. up. Call and tell his nurse about your symptoms, and I bet they can get you in early.

[islandprincess]

http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Maternal/archive/3106.html......read it >...:)

[mslkpage]

She's not saying that sperm can't live for 2 days. She's saying that is NOT what causes odor.

Seminal fluid mixing with the bacteria caused by BV can cause odor, but this has nothing to do with how long sperm live.

[Mertek]

I read that sperm living for two days makes you stinky and I just about fainted. I wondered if my coworkers could smell something I couldn't!! Hahahaha

Barelymarried, like others have said, go to the dr and have him/her check for the BV.

If all else fails hang an air freshener tree from your belt loop. :)

[islandprincess]

lol.....ok....guys what is BV???

[mslkpage]

Go back up to AnnieBrooke's answer. BV = bacterial vaginosis.

[mthillbilly]

i have been teated for bv and all the other infections there are, and have come back clean. the odor is only after sex, and lingers for about two days. if we use a condom- no odor, any sggestions?

[mthillbilly]

i should clarifyprevious statement.  i have been treated for bv. i have been tested for other infections and they are negative i have been married for 3 yrs now and there is no cheating from either of us.

[cruzangrl]

I have had the same problem for a while. I have been married for 6 years. I only have the odor the next day after having intercourse and it lasts for about 2 days. After this there is no odor. If we use a condom, there is no odor at all for me either.

I will say it is nice to hear that someone else is experiencing this. I do know for a fact that I do not have any diseases. And yes, any suggestions would be helpful for me also.

[fairygirl90]

i have had the same problem...and I am also free of any infections or diseases....so there is a reason...but what can we do to fix it?

[purpleky]

Re: Vaginal odor 1-2 days after ejaculation

Have the same problem with my current partner-- Gyno advised the PH of his semen was probably different than my vagina, resulting in a nasty smell.  The problem is easily solved by having him not ejaculate inside me!  :)

[papasmurfsprincess]

they have this new product called refresh, you can use it after sex and it helps cause I was on orthro tri cyclen lo, and I seemed to have the same problem cause we had sex sometimes 4 times a day and the best thing to do is take a shower and wash up really good.

[DontWinkAtMe]

I have been searching now for an hour to find out why my boyfriend's semen seems to make my vagina smell HORRIBLE.  I am glad to see it is just not me that has this problem!  That is interesting what someone posted about his PH being different.  Does that rePHresh stuff actually work I wonder?? Has anyone used  it after sex to successfully prevent this?

[moyashi]

Rephresh is used every three days and the whole ph thing is what causes this most of the time. the vagina is acidic, with a natural ph level of around 4.5. your partners semen may be a little higher than this which makes the vagina more basic than it should causing the annoying smell, sometimes comes with itching too. rephresh is a vaginal gel that helps maintain the vagina's ph to a healthy level getting rid of this problem altogether. I hope rephresh helps you because having the odor can be problematic at times, and may affect your sexual activities. good luck ladies!

[MarriediAM]

im so glad that im not the only one with this problem.we are trying for a baby and i thought that maybe his semen was bad or something.so hopefully this will not hurt us while trying to get pregnant.thank you ladies.

[andee987]

i had protected sex with my boyfriend this afternoon and within a span of 15 mins, he inserted in twice, both times with new condom (he came the first time outside).
however, my vagina smells really strong, even up to now.
why????

[addysmom]

OMG...I am SOOOO happy that people are going through the same thing as me!  WOW!  I never had a problem with this until after I had my daughter and AFTER I had my Mirena IUD put in.  The first time I noticed it I was tested for BV...came back positive...was treated...came back.  I am on my 4th round of antibiotics....and I have been splitting a 14 day course with my husband.  My doctor did say it could be related to my PH changing since having a baby and it mixing with my husbands semen.  I have also noticed that there is no symptoms if we use a condom.  (WHICH I HATE!)  Its so embarrasing....I can seriously smell it while doing daily chores...so I am sure others can smell it....on top of that I have read that untreated BV can lead to Pelvic Inflammatory Disease....which can lead to sterility.....my question is this....

If I continue to get BV....does that mean I am at increased risk for PID???

[cazza2306]

I am 40 & started having sex with my new partner the problem is that my vagina stinks not only after sex but worst during it.Its that bad the room even stinks.My partner has also commented on it & its got that bad that im thinking of ending the relationship. please help as i dont know what else to do i am always washing myself but nothing helps

[meg78]

Hi guy's i also have the same thing going on  with me. I am also trying to have a baby . so what do i do to get rid of the smell ? and do i use a ****** a day or 2 after sex ?  i dont want to kill any of the sperm but i dont want to smell either.

[frog487]

I thought I was the only one having that problem. After my husband and I finish having sex I dont smell anything. But the day after it smell really really bad and I have try everything to get rid of the smell, but nothing seem to work. Even when I am work I smell myself and I OFTEN WONDER CAN ANYONE ELSE SMELL ME. That if so embarrassing to walk around smelling like that and wonder can someone else smell you. I hated it so bad that i wanted to stop having sex with my husband. What Can We Do Ladies On The REAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[happilymarried110306]

I have been married a year and a half and I have the same problem.  Right after sex you cant smell anything but after a few hours you can start to smell it and last for several days.  i work in a warehouse so it gets hot in the building and i know other people can smell it.  I dont know what to do.  i know your diet has a lot to do with it.  i have been told to eat yogurt and pineapple but the same goes for your man. with the sperm mixing with your secretions the smell begins.  douching is very bad for you but i dont know what to do......

[michgrl]

Soooo, I've noticed "that smell" after unprotected sex, for up to a couple days.  And I'm not a doctor or anything but it seems kinda logical (barring infections etc) that the smell is decaying semen.  My vagina didn't smell when I wasn't having sex and it only smells after there's been a deposit of semen and only for a short period of time.

[Greek_Babe]

I am 34 & have been frustrated with this problem for the almost 4 years of my marriage.  I always thought it was my husband's sperm in me that smells. If he pulls out then I do not smell at all and that is great!Unfortunately, if he does not pull out then I have this nasty smell coming out of me for about 2 days, no matter how many showers I take, & since we are trying to get pregnant and have been having sex almost every day, I have to put up with this nasty scent more often.  It is very overwhelming and so I will definitely have my gynecologist help me, even though I have been embarrassed to bring it up to her after all of these years.

[mercy725]

I've had this problem for a while, that is B4 I read about regular old PEROXIDE!! Yes! I said PEROXIDE! All you have to do is get a TURKEY BASTER after sex and fill it half way w/peroxide, next u wanna get into a comfy position on the floor lying on ur back legs open and insert the baster into ur vagina and squeeze not too much pressure just enough to let the peroxide circulate in your vagina and let it sit there for a minute, some of u may feel a slight burn if the inside of your vagina is already sore from the BV, but some may not. The peroxide will start to foam, stand up and let it run out. Repeat this process about (3) times and you should be free from the odor and the BV immediately. Follow up the rinse w/reg old H20 but insert it the same way, w/the Baster. Make sure you do this after sex, and you'll never have to worry about the smell again. I

I also found it helpful to take 1600 miligrams of Folic acid daily, as well as ACIDOPHILUS. I also use a product by Natures Secret called CandidaCleanse. It's a 2 part formula that works by ridding your body of BAD BACTERIA and replaces it w/GOOD BACTERIA. By getting rid of the BAD BACTERIA your eliminating yeast which ALSO causes BV ;)

I hope I saved a few relationships (smiles)

[mercy725]

I almost forgot. You also may want to take **** Quai as well as Primrose Oil to make sure you're fully lubricated daily. This wards off Yeast and Bv as well.
Also another trick if you have a YEAST INFECTION which u MAY have if you have Bv is to take Alka Seltzer. It has citric acid in it as well as Asprin that helps cure u IMMEDIATELY! I KNOW! I've used A LOT of stuff w/trial and error. And Yes, the Rephresh DOES work, BUT, as SOON as you stop using it u get a yeast infection ( @ least I did) and your vagina becomes USE to it. And who wants to keep buying it for $15 bucks when u can SOLVE ur problem for less than $5 ;) and get healthier in the process :)

Supplements I take:

Acidophilous
Flax Seed Oil
Primrose Oil
Black Cohosh
**** Quai
Folic Acid
Cranberry Extract

Please feel free to send questions if you have any. I KNOW how embarrassing and irritating this can be.

[mary5678]

im on ortho try cyclen lo also. my boyfriend and i are both each other's first partner. for some reason my urine seems to smell after having protected sex. at one point when i was younger i thought i was allergic to latex but now i dont think that i ever really was. could that be causing the smell?  at first i thought that it was a yeast infection or a urinary tract infection so i drank a lot of cranberry juice. it burns a little but not really. sometimes i even notice a fishy smell that i havent ever had before.

[Moonsooz]

I am SO grateful to have found this page!  I am an educated woman, married for 13 years.  I, too, have a foul odor that starts the morning after sex and lasts for 24 - 36 hrs or so, but I had assumed it must be normal, because I don't have it otherwise, don't have a discharge, I've had it with previous partners, and  I HAVE had BV twice in the past, but the foul odor then was much stronger and fishy.  But then I got concerned about this after-sex smell recently after an aunt mentioned that a male friend was complaining that his girlfriend smells "down there" after sex...and my aunt said something like "she must not be very clean."  WHAT???  Of course I didn't tell her I had the same issue!!!  Yikes!!  Just hopped on the computer ASAP.  I'm buying the Ph explanation.  Having your ph off can allow the wrong bacteria to grow...causing the odor...After his semen is all out your ph returns to normal and your good bacteria take back over and the odor fades. I wonder, too, though, if my bacteria balance could also use some help, since this has happened with previous partners.  I'll try eating more yogurt or acidophilus. But I take 500 mg of vit C every night (works well to prevent BLADDER infections, to which I'm prone) which makes my system more acidic already....hmmm.  I might have to run this by my MD after all.  The peroxide ****** sounds practical.  Oh - any yeast infections (by themselves) in the past have never had a detectable odor.  Let's stay sensible!
Thanks for sharing!!

[staciakevin]

I also experience that terrrible fishy odor after sex.  It usually occurs the day after and my husband says he sometimes smells it on himself for a week or two.  We have been trying to conceive for 4 months and i am using Clomid.  We have to have sex everyother day during my "ovulation time" and it really gets embarassing to know that you smell like a dead fish and it is true that you feel like everyone can smell it on you!   I do have a follow-up appt with the OBGYN on sept. 15, so maybe i will mention this to my doctor.  We haven't really had this problem before and we have been together for 16 years and married for 11 years.maybe it is because we are older and our systems are changing and like a few people have said....it could be the pH levels don't jive.

[mysteriousbrat]

ive just got diagnosed with vb. makes me hate having sex cuz thats the only reason i got it. i did some research and i have a few remedies that works. u can make a ****** out of vinegar and water (also good for tightening vaginal walls). u can use acidephilious yogurt (no sugar added) and soak it in tampon and insert it vagina( u can add tea tree oil). you can also get tea tree oil (a few drops) mix it with water  and ******. or u can crush garlic (kills bacteria)or chew it. all of this helps  kill bacteria obviously and vinegar helps with ph balance, alkaline as well. more benefits than 1 with these and it works :)). hope  this helps u. also helpful if u change diet. stay away from sugars(feeds yeast , multiplies) breads (made with yeast) beer( yeast). fruits and veggies and herbal teas if u wish.

[MOMOF3GGB]

Just started reading the postings on this subject.  Glad to know I'm not the only one out here.  I've been having this issue for quite sometime.  Been married for 13 years, had 3 kids and have never experienced it until maybe a year or so ago.  Have had lots of yeast infections, bladder infections and bacterial issues, over the years but especially noticed them after I had my IUD put in.  Started taking a candida clease treatment - which really helped for the yeast infections but not the smell.  I buy the whole PH thing but I'm a little, okay, a lot, skeptical on the 'turkey baster' remedy.  Do you only need to do this 1 time or just 1 time, everytime after having sex?  I can't imagine that would be good for you.  I suppose at this point, I'm willing to try anything.  I'm not worried about having any more kids, we're done, in fact, just had an ovary removed - just looking for some good times, without an odor, for the many more years to come.  Thanks.

[MALAYSHIA]

HOW ABOUT A CORNCHIP SMELL AFTER SEX

[Aineekhan]

i have a spurm smell problem plzzzzzzz tell me what kind of madicens use and next time care plzzzzzzzzzz cz my boy friend told me its very bad smell so i am worry about this problem

[mother03]

I have been married for 14 years and have 3 kids. My husband had a v-sec after my third (she is 5). Therefore he has no semen. I had an IUD placed and taken out several years ago.I have had an odor after sex that lasts 2-3 days as well, for a couple of years. I go to regular ob visits without incident.

My question is if he has no semen can there still be a PH thing?

Also the first 10 years of our marriage nothing as far as odors.

[MsGaPeach]

I have also suffered from the foul odor after intercourse with my husband that lasts 2-3 days.  (I'm glad to know I'm not the only one with this issue!)  Like some of you, I only get the bad odor if he ejaculates inside my vagina.  If he withdraws or uses a condom there is no bad odor afterward.  I've had an occasional yeast infection, but usually my test results are fine.  My doctor said this is how my pH levels react to semen, thus causing the odor.  In my opinion, his semen simply makes me stink!  As time goes by I smell more and more like rotten boiled fish and it lasts for several days after intercourse.  It's quite embarrassing.

My doctor said I should clean myself with plain warm water and wait it out.  I sometimes ****** w/plain warm water after sex, but it's usually not enough to get rid of the smell.  After reading several posts I decided to try a hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) rinse.  I used a 1:2 ratio of peroxide to water last night in a ****** bottle.  To my surprise, this morning the odor was gone!  I'm finally back to my "normal" smell.  Yay!  (I'll hold off on sex for a while so I can enjoy this! )

[NurseSam]

I have also had this problem, but I don't think it has to do with the semen... or, it is just a part of the mix of it. My guy had a vasectomy done, so has to no sperm in his ejaculate. I hope it is not a bacterial infection. It was my first time, so I don't have anything to compare it to. So, any suggestions or comments I would like to hear. By the way, all the above comments have been pretty helpful.

[GRose]

There are still bodily fluids that come out when your husband ejaculates, so it could very well be that your vaginas pH is getting messed up from that.
You can get a vagisal screening kit that can tell you what may be wrong, I would try that OR just call your gyno and get an appointment.

[princess8]

Ladies,
   First off THANK YOU all for your honesty here.  I, like many of you thought I was alone here and had no idea what to do!  I wanted to let you all know that I did try the RePhresh product and found that it worked within the first day of treatment.  The product can be purchased in the "women's health" section of any drug store.  It retails for about $20 and is a month long supply (it can be used every three days).  I do want to throw out one warning about it though...I used it one morning then took a romantic bubble bath with my BF in the same day.  The ointment was flushed out of my vagina and ended up having a more foul odor when it mixed with the bath product.  Warning...don't soak in the tub the same day!!!

[cbrewer]

I have been married for about two years now. Not long after being married my husband commented on how I would smell really strong before sex, when I was becoming aroused. Since then it has gotten worse, to the point that now we don't do to much because of the smell. The only times the smell is bad is before sex and during that time of the month. I am going to try changing my diet, more fruits veggies, and yogurt, but I was wondering if there was anything else I can do.

[SkakaZulu]

Oh my gosh, I'm so sick of this smell after sex!  It's frustrating to have this odor after sex especially since I'm so sensitive to smells.  My husband (after 16 years says he doesn't smell a thing (honestly) but I think that's partially because I wait the day or so later til it's waned a bit and not so noticeable.  After being treated for BV I usually keep the unused portion of the metrogel in case I get that fishy smell again and treat myself for another 5 days while I'm on my period (best excuse not to have sex for us and it's under radar - he thinks I'm overreacting so I do it indescretely).  We've been trying to become pregnant for our 2nd so I'm really BUGGED by this constant new fishy odor - I KNOW it can hinder getting pregnant or encourage miscarrying.  I'm so glad I found that it's probably HIS problem finally - ha ha... that it's his pH that could be throwing me off.  So, I take acidophilus pills daily - but it doesn't seem to help.  I think I'm ready to try the sugar free yogurt tampon idea.  How long do I leave it in?  And also, what about the peroxide ******... will that be bad if I'm trying to conceive?  Won't it upset all kinds of things?  OH!  And how about a diet for HIM?  Should he eat more of something to help me too?  THANK YOU!!!    

[binglebongle]

I have also been experiencing this problem recently (within a 14 yr relationship). At first I thought he must be up to something and i had all tests and everything is ok. It does annoy me though that the Drs just pass this off as nothing (ie the comments' just clean up and deal with the odor for 2 days!). It affects your whole day when you can smell it and you are sure everyone else can....
I am trying to get pregnant so I dont want to go sticking peroxide up there... but other than that there seems no other remedy..

also, just on the partners with vasectemies- they still have everything else except spermatozoa come out with each ejaculation. And this other fluid (which is there to sustain the sperms) is different to the Ph of the vagina (it is also meant to protect the sperm from the acidity of the vagina so they can get though to the womb). So even after vacetemy the fluid entering the vagina could cause this problem - if it indeed is the Phhat is the problem.

i really hope there is a natual or easy way to fix this and that we find out soon as it REALLY puts me off wanting to have sex.....

[younganddumb89]

My girlfriend and i have been together for a while, im 19 years old and never had a girl... that smelled. we recently got sexualy active, i hadent noticed the smell the first few times, but the more we did it the more it smelled after.The smell only lasted a few hours. We shower after sex and she also goes to the washroom.

ive been reading up on some forums and ppl say it could be from the sperm? that the sperm smells from a bad diet, which my diet is far from good.

what should i do?

[vicky182]

I have the same foul odor problem after my fiance ejaculates inside of me.  I shower and have very good hygiene.  If he ejaculates inside of me, it doesn't smell until the next day, but the smell is strong and actually disgusts me.  It is definitely not my natural smell, so I thought it must have came from his sperm.  Glad to know others have this experience.  I am in my late 20s...why hasn't anyone ever talked about this to me?  Why have I never read about this in Cosmo?  Smelly vaginas caused by sperm!

[reyna73]

I have the same horrible smell but only when I'm having sex - after an orgasm, I don't smell it any other time, the outside of my vagina doesn't smell; it's something inside...I wash after sex and it's gone but it's definitely ruining my sex life because all I can think about during sex is "the smell".  I always use condoms so my situation has nothing to do with sperm.  My doctor recommended pills (trazodone) and a gel (vandazole), it cleared it up for a few months but it's back.  I HATE IT!!!! I'm very very clean, almost psychotic clean when it comes to by vagina so this situation is driving me crazy especially because I don't know it's happening until I'm having sex.  I wish I could find a cure for ever!  I'm going to try the Peroxide and eat lots of yogurt and will let you all know!!! lol

[freakydeak017]

So my boyfriend and i have been sexually intimate for four months. One day after having unprotected sex, which we've always had... My bf attempted to initiate some oral sex. So as i was about to do my thing... I took a whiff, and boy did his winker stink! Of course i said ewww it stinks. So he says, well if i'm inside of you then the smell must be from you. When he said this i explained to him that its probably the unprotected sex...and semen is basic and vaginal fluid is acidic and that ejaculation inside the vagina can cause a pH imbalance, hence causing an odor. Then he says well to be honest, its always been like that, you've always had an odor. So i'm like freakin out... SO EMBARASSED... He's telling me that its probably my diet... You know, "you are what you eat." I had a Pap smear a few days ago. My doctor said everything looked good. If there was an odor would she have said anything? I'm still waiting on the results but i'm confident that there isn't any disease or infection going on down there. I have no symptoms at all, but apparently i have this odor.
PLEASE HELP ME.

[candywilson]

it is soooo good to know that other people have the same issue i have! the odor i experience becomes apparent DURING sex...like 30 seconds into intercourse. i don't smell it for days afterward, though; as soon as i shower the smell is gone...on the outside anyway! i have been diagnosed with bv, but the prescription didn't work the last time i used it about a month ago. i have the little tubes of gel that you have to insert...i also drank alcohol while on it one night and you aren't supposed to so i wonder if that is what made it not work....must be a problem some women get after babies because i never had this problem before...and what is this about both partners needing to be treated? does my hubby need a scrip, too?

[zsassygirl]

I have been married for 19 yrs and have that same issue with fishy smell after my husband ejaculates in me though he had a vasectomy yrs ago.I believe its the ph balance that is off balance.I once had my gyno tell me some peoples chemicals don't mix. I was hating having sex knowing I would smell fishy for the next day.I'm glad i found this site it makes me feel better I'm not the only one dealing with this.I'm in my young 40's and thats enough to deal with the wrinkles,chin hairs, and bags under the eyes....Don't need a smelly coochie too....
thank you  for your info

[sophie33]

Hello Everyone!

I would just like to say that this seems like a huge problem!
I have this problem also, thought it was me, was embrassed of the foul fishy smell that carries with you where ever you go, I had bv, took antibiotics, it came back but with a bladder infection, i had to take probiotics and go back and forth from the antibiotics and its becoming a game.  Let me tell you I was with the same partner for 17 years and never ever had a problem in the vagina smelling department!!!

A year and a half a go, i met my boyfriend now who would tell me how his last girl friend would smell so bad like a skunk, i was well ok?

Anyway, once we started to have sex, i started to notice the smell i was having and thought, oh no, than i thought it was him, maybe it was him who had an infection and gave it to her and me, or he passed it to me, anyway my doctor said it was normal!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey this is not normal!!!!

Something is going on here, how can all of a sudden many woman are having the same problem.  When i noticed the smell i was having,it really started to affect me and my life, i have noticed so many new products at the drug stores for this, so i said to myself this must be a big problem to start making these products.

So somethings is going on, maybe a new virus, or something in food, or medications, or tampons or pads, it has to be something that men or woman are using or eating or transmitting to make woman from all ages and classes smell bad after intercourse!!!

We have to get to the bottom of this cause its out of control.  This is not going to stop from changing your diet or washing yourself, i believe the PH is being altered but from what????

Another Doctor said i could be allergic to my mates semen, after all the years i am now allergic? Come on, its bigger than that, we have to get to the source or it will always happen.  You have to get to the root of the problem,
My uterus has since dropped and im getting very worried.  Intercourse is painful at times too.

Why are our bodies rejecting semen?

So I hope they find out why there is an epic amount of woman with this bad smell after sex.  
I am very happy im not alone in this.

Please if there are any doctors out there that know the real truth please fill us in.

Thanks for all your honesty ladies, and guys please we are clean, be nice and supportive of your ladies.

Thanks sophie

[divalishous]

Why hadn't I ever heard this before???  I have been married for about 8 months and although I have had other partners before I ALWAYS used condoms and so there was never an odor.  However since we have been married we stopped using condoms and he would ejaculate inside of me.  First of all, it would gross me out so bad at first, having to do the whole scoot your rear to the edge of the bed and waddle to the bathroom wutg your towel diaper in place so it won't run.  I had no idea this happened, they don't show this **** in the movies.  Secondly I started to notice a strange smell the day after, kind of like fish food.  So the next time I jumped in the shower afterward and hosed it down... only to find there was STILL a strange smell the next day.  

What the HECK?  I have always loved sex but honestly sometimes avoid it because I don't want to deal with the smell.  PH balance really?  I am terrified to put peroxide in my hoo hoo.  Anybody else?

This is a much more common problem than I thought, over 50 women on this forum alone.  There has to be something to fix it.  Please let us know what you all find out.

[saratoga111]

OK - so I too have this problem. It puts me in a BAD mood when I wake up smelling like a dead fish. ugh. So I read Sophie 33's post and I have to agree. I think this is a problem bigger than the dr's want to say. Or really they don't have the time to care.

I did some research on PH...very interesting. It means "Power of Hydrogen". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PH

I think it's an environmental issue.  My husband drinks A LOT of tap water. I don't think our water is as clean as everyone says it is. Just a theory...

To deal with the smell I'll spray spray spray bath and body works all over for 2 days! Even then it doesn't do much. =( Such an unfair situation for us all.  

[JessicaC86]

Every time I have sex the next day there is a foul odor & it also lasts for a couple of days. I don't think it's Bacterial Vaganosis because I just had a pap smear a week ago & everything came out normal. I personally think it's the sperm that leaks out because I also notice I seem to have a bit more discharge than normal after having sex even though I bathe & wash down there.

[spottedwolf]

Me and my boyfriends have been together for 7 years and I too have this problem.  It is a problem cause we have sex a few times a week.  He will be like did you wash down there, I am like yes I get a shower every morning after sex, other wise it it in the evening, but it is every day.  I thought there might be something wrong with my body but my PAP came back regular not thing there.  So unless I am allergic to his stuff or one of our PHs is off what else could it be.  When I talked to him about it he said no one else he had been with had that problem and that it has been this way since we got together.  We have never used protection cause I knew he was clean so I had nothing to worry about.  I know there has got to be someone out there that knows what the real problem here is, and I am thinking that there is more to it than just PH being off.  If that were the problem GYNOs would give us something to correct that issue.  

[boobahda]

Finally there are women out there who understand..Okay My deal is a bit different..If my b/f & I havent had sex for a long time, It smells..really bad for 2-3 days..& if we have sex everyday..Then it doesnt smell...Its as if the production of sperm has something to do with it...Ive been tested, and nothing came up.  & I researched it...& thank God I know im not the only one... My BF & I were trying to educate our selves on this but really didnt know what to think.

[luckybunny]

Why hasn't cosmo written about this?  I say we all send them this link.  I am 23 years old and have been having sex since I was 16.  And have  had sex a cuzillion times. I have never been on birth control, therefore I always use condoms.  Only three times has someone ejaculated in me (3 different people, so no corrolation there), and all three times I have had this odor. Unfortunaley my odor lasts for a week, not just a few days (but so does my period, so i guess my vagina walls move slow, lol) I have had numerouse yeast infections and have a BV once prior to this, so i like to think that I am very familiar with my body.  It took me a while to find this site, but I am so glad that i am not alone.  However, now that I know in fact it is the semen this makes want to continue to use my ol' faithful condom method.  But what happens when I do get serious with an individual and am ready to stop using  condoms and abandon the pulling out method?  Will I just have to deal with my seafood restaraunt!!!!!!!!  Yikes, I hate to say, but I have been praised by men, because of my emaculately clean and tasty vagina! lol! and would like to keep it that way.  So I guess til we figure this out it will be no sperm= no smell and when u let the fishies swim--out comes the fish market!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  COSMO PETITION!!!!!!!!!!!!

[purebeauty06]

i too suffer from the same problem, my question is for those ladies who were trying to get pregnant, did it stop you from getting pregnant or were you succesful?

[MysticMae]

I have to say that I'm very happy right now.  I'm relieved to know that I'm not a freak.  It's so hilarious because I take so much pride in my children and home being spotless (or as close too it as possible). When it comes to me?  Well I've been known to wash myself with scalding hot water just because I thought it would help the odor go away (hey it helps when disinfecting bathroom and kitchen bacteria, right?!).  So here I am, burning my lil Cooch when the answer was here all along.

I must say, I resented my boo for making it such an 'issue' but there are a lot of times when I do notice I smell very pungent.  THERE'S AN ANSWER!  He + Me = Stinky!  Lol.  I definitely want to try a lot of herbal remedies, I know that will help a lot. But funny enough he suggested that I change my diet, but not so fast Mr. Slick...YOU WOULD HAVE TO CHANGE YOURS TOO!  The pH in BOTH of us is resulting in this foul odor.  So HA!  I'm so linking this whole page to him.  I hope he gets red in the face and apologizes for making me feel like a nasty freakshow.  

[ineedhellllllp]

How long does semen discharge from your vagina after sex. I have been told that it will survive for a couple of days in there but do some women still get a semen discharge 3-4 days after having sex?

[thelegendreturns]

I blame the sperm too!
Every time I have sex with my boyfriend I get a smelly vagina the first two days after. I'm convinced his sperm changes my PH balance.
With other boyfriends I dind't have this problem so I told my boyfriend that his sperm *****!
It actually kind of makes me not want to have sex with him because everytime it takes a few days to 'refresh.'
Maybe, we're just not PH compatible, lol.
I'm definitely going to try the peroxide.

[Venus_de_Milo]

Wow, so glad to have found this page. I have this problem with my new boyfriend. I was married before and, in eight years with him, I never had this problem. With my boyfriend, though, it started the day after and it's been two days of this odor so far. Luckily (for the purposes of this issue) we're in a long-distance relationship, so I won't see him again for nearly three weeks. I'll try the vinegar douche and post back.

[kica]

i've had the same issues and that's the reason i looked up the problem today.

i'll tell you, i tried a pill for vaginal odor and it seemed to work so wonderful!!! the only drawback is that it's about $70 for a months supply. here is the link http://www.femanol.com/

i also saw this today while looking things up, i haven't read reviews on it yet tho... http://www.aragonproducts.com/theproducts.cfm?master=5882

the second one is a lil cheaper... i haven't taken the femanol in a while so i can't recall how it was with the after sex odor...

but i thought i'd put my thoughts in!

[missgeevee]

Ok ladies,

The odor you're experiencing is NOT a bad mixing of you and your man's PH levels.

The foul odor that begins after several hours of ejaculation iside of your vagina, is the sperm/semen beginning to decompose...you naturally are going to smell this for a few days after having sex.  

Check it out, next time you and you man have sex, use a condom and make sure he ejaculates into it.  After a couple days or so, I promise you, the semen inside that condom will start to smell to the high heavens, and therefore you will see exactly what smell is obviously going to occur inside of you if the semen is deposited in your vagina...its just the natural, normal, decomposure/decay of the semen.

I hope this helps clear up a lot of worries!

Cheers!

[strawberryice]

Hi, Just wanted to follow up on truebeauty06's question - have any of the women experiencing this odor after sex who were trying to conceive managed to?

I also have noticed a strong smell the day after sex with my husband.   I have never experienced this before with previous partners.  It is often so strong that I need to wear a pantiliner the next day otherwise the odor goes to my clothes.  The odor is only there after intercourse and is not there at any other time.  My husband's semen does smell stronger than that of my previous partners, not a foul smell, just strong.

We have been trying to conceive for three years, have had all the fertility tests (and std tests) in the book, and they can find nothing wrong, in other words no obvious reason why we can't get pregnant.  So, just wondering if this could somehow be a factor.  We haven't mentioned it to the fertility clinic as were too embarassed to do so!

Has anyone else linked this odor after sex to problems getting pregnant?

Thanks!

[aimee6282]

I've had this problem for some time. Currently married but have had previous relationships and have found that it only occurs with those men who were heavy beer drinkers. Haven't been able to find anything to prove it,  but I am convinced it has something to do with how the beer affects a man's ph levels. Haven't had problems with infections associated with this (had them when I was younger so I know what they're like). It's a different smell and for me is almost immediate and can last days after ejaculation. I did not have that "smell" with partners who were not heavy drinkers. Anyone else see a relationship between beer and "the funk"? I usually have to douche immediately after sex, using only warm water, but do a pretty thorough job and that gets rid of it. Kinda kills that spur of the moment stuff though. I've had a hysterectomy so the semen doesn't "linger" as long, or go as far as before my surgery, so have had better success getting it gone now.

[milliehelp]

i myself have this problem also, i tried for 5 years to have a baby, eventually it worked after many attempts of fertility..............could this may have something to do with it?  we have been trying again for the last 2 years and still no pregnancy......must must must try and research!!!

[LyssaLee]

I am so glad to hear that I am NOT the only one having this problem!!! It makes me feel REALLY gross!! I have been tested for STD'S, Bacterial Infections, I have no Yeast, I just dont get it!!! I was in a relationship for four years, and I had this problem because we had unprotected sex! I never got pregnant. Now, I have been married for three years to someone else, and AGAIN.. we have unprotected sex, I get the "smell" and I STILL can not get pregnant! My Doctor tested me for infertility, and found nothing wrong with me. The only thing I know FOR SURE is I have this smell, I have pain during intercourse most of the time, I have NOT gotten pregnant while trying for SEVEN YEARS, and my doctors say theres nothing wrong with me.. I could use ANY help ANYONE has to offer!!!!!!! Maybe this is some vaginal disease that has not been discoverd yet.. I just dont get it!!! HELP PLEASE!!

[differentnames4thesamething]

I'm also glad to see I'm not the only one dealing with this. I've never had this issue before, not with previous partners or with my husband until after I had my second child with him. My first pregnancy was from a different relationship, no stinky with partners after my firstborn and none with my hubs before our daughter was born, but now...I honestly dread sex and have started avoiding it because of the smell...to the point im just laying there waiting for him to finish thinking of nothing but how quickly I can get to the shower to hose my hoo-ha down. Maybe if the sex was better I'd be more willing to put up with the smell after, but that's a whole other issue. lol. I also have the mirena implant...iud's seem to be a factor in a lot of these posts...has anyone noticed a difference after removing theirs? Also, I have poly-cystic ovarian syndrome which causes some hormonal issues...does anyone else with pcos have smelly hoo-ha issues? BTW for those who don't know, pcos isn't an std or anything like that, my ovaries just don't work right and as a result screw up my hormones.

[NYGal31]

I have had this problem for a long time. With different men. The smell lasts until I douche. It doesn't just last 2-3 days like everyone else. It's not as bad if he pulls out, but after a few times, it starts back again. I tested to see if it goes away on it's own without my douching and so far, im going on 3 months with the same odor. Slowly getting stronger. I've told my gyn about this yrs ago and she said that it's because he ejaculates inside. But I guess I will request a testing for BV and see what comes up.

[amanderr56]

I have never had any kind of smell, until about a month ago. I am 20, and have been sexually active since I was 16. I dont know what could have caused this smell. I have been with my boyfriend for about a year now.. Maybe it could be some diet pills I have recently started to take? I dont know, but I need help. It isnt necessarily after sex, but it is definitely NOTICABLE afterwards.. Will someone please let me know what could possibly cause this.. HELP! I am worried.

[Dannnnnny]

Rephresh works great! I started having this problem after having my son and i HATE it! And i noticed after using rephresh i wouldnt get the "stink" for a few escapades and then itll start and i just use another rephresh stick

[Alicebvt]

I am still not sure about using artificial products like rephresh. Changes in odour are my flag that something is out of balance, so, as many of you suggest above, I consider diet, illness, and external factors like clothing, soaps, detergents when I smell different. I did buy some pH strips to check my vaginal fluid, and when it went alkaline, I once took a warm bath with a couple of cups of white vinegar in the water. I am still very much anti-(routine) douching, but understand its value on occasion. The bath will cover all the tissues of the vulva and vaginal opening, and I use fingers to open myself a bit, but that's all. It did help my pH to remain in the suggested range, even days afterwards. Please, ladies, pardon my skepticism of "marketed solutions" to feminine issues.

[Alicebvt]

..also, keep in mind that we each have a threshold of odour beyond which we find offensive. Our body's normal healthy range MAY be outside that threshold. Case in point: My first 40+ years of life convinced me that healthy female parts should have NO smell atall. I finally learned that this was not true.

[bee24]

Like all of you, I have the same problem, and I just had a PAP test and everything is good, I just got my IUD taken out as well, because in my head I thought this was causing all of my issues. Now IUD free and I think the smell has gotten worst, It's kind of embarrassing, but if I scratch down, the smell stay in my fingers, Im taking scratching with jeans on and all, the freaking smell goes trough, Ugh, I hate it, I dont know what to do, The doctors need to take this matter more seriously, is affecting my relationship immensely, therefore my life.

[Alicebvt]

Bee,

I stopped wearing pantyhose at work for this very reason.. the fabric trapped my perspiration and natural vaginal discharge and seemed to cause some sort of fermenation with my normal bacteria, despite "clean" prognoses from my lady-doc. I now wear only cotton knickers with thigh-, or kneehighs, and found that pads caused a smell issue as well. The cotton allows moisture to exit, and air to breathe, eliminating anaerobic and fungal activity. This made a big diff for me. I also rub a pinch of borax into the crotch of my undies before laundering with a bit of table salt and bicarb of soda. This almost totally removes brown, or yellow stains, and for odours, I keep an open jar of dried orange & lemon peels in my lingerie drawer with a few cloves and a bit of ginger root. No, I am not JKrowling! LOL, but it does work for me. Hope this helps!
Alice

[leah86]

mercy725...are you mad! peroxide! nothing should be put up there like that! even doushing is a big no no too.it is ph levels so when you douch any good bacteria that are there is going to be washed away! this smell is normal yes normal!! if anoying an enbarraseing go an see the gp for some antibiotics.its not a long corse and your body will not get used to them an it will 'take the edge off'.never use strong smelling i use a soap from the simple range no perfume and natural ph levle in it.if u feel the need to use panty liners an plz dont go putting anything untoward up there.xxx

[Alicebvt]

I have to agree with Ms Leah86. Lots of wisdom from a young lass, there!

[CC1983]

PEROXIDE OMG Please do not take that advice !!!!! Ive never heard anything so crazy and dangerous !!

I had this problem 4 years and always put it down to sex just assumed it was normal and tried to keep very clean after sex since having routine checks and been told it was BV i was given a course of special antibiotics which has cleared the problem now. Its a relief and im wondering why i never went to the docs before....

BV is a natural bacteria in balance and is not associated with been unhygenic in anyway infact the doc explained to me that it is more a case of been too clean and washing too often pushing water inside is not sumthing u shud do (sumthing i always used to do especially wen the smell occured) so douching or certainly peroxide will make the problem worse not help. Same as using bubble baths etc you should stop using any chemical perfumed products at all near the area and never inside. I know its not a nice thing to tell ur doc but i feel so much better now mines gone if only i'd known earlier :)

[Liz676]

i think you've got something to the environmental thing. when my boyfriend and i started dating, i never drank tap water. always bottled or from a local spring where i live. and i never smelled! we recently moved and i have been drinking nothing but tap and now i all of sudden smell? i'm gonna stop drinking the tap and see where the smell goes. hopefully gone!

[Destiney_B]

I have had this same problem. I got rid of it taking an anti-biotic for BV. I just got my mirena removed a month ago, and am now taking ortho evra (the patch).
My husband and I had sex yesterday and I noticed before we had sex there was a horrid smell on him. Well now I am smelling down there. So is it him? Or is it both of us? Should I get on the same medication? And does he need some too?
He used to blame me for it, and I would feel so awful, all I could do is cry. I didnt know what to do or what the problem was.
Why cant people be more understanding. I wish all of us women could find a cure for this once and for all... were tired of smelling!
Were women, were supposed to smell pretty!
Someone please help cure smelly vagina.

[Former_BV_Sufferer]

I suffered from BV during my teenage years and never knew what it was until I went to the doc. He prescribed me antibiotics, and it got rid of everything - good and bad bacteria...also, after a couple of months it returned only for me to continue with more antibiotics. It's hard to continue taking something that depletes even the beneficial bacteria our vagina needs to stay healthy and "infection free."
After years of net surfing for a "cure," I came across a very helpful website that you also may find some useful info on and the products available for purchase. I know I did, and I have been BV free for 8 years now!

[mona555]

I know what the solution is. After sex or even the next day you can wash inside the vagina by 2 cups of water and 1 table spoon white vinegar. Use those bags like IV bags with a long and narrow tube I don’t know what they call it; you can buy it form a pharmacy. Pour the water and vinegar in the bag and place the tube inside the vagina about 5 or 6 centimeter and wash inside completely. The odor will go away right away. It works like a magic.

[MissAMF]

I have a similar problem, but not quite the same. I can do whatever with my boyfriend and never get a smell. But when im by myself and finsih masturbating, achieve an orgasm, The next day theres a smell present and it lasts forever! Ive had this problem for 4 years, and the only way I have come up with so far is using Monistat which is for yeast infections. Its not a reccurrent infection though.  My doctor has cleared me time again and again, but its  really tedious having to buy $14 worth of product after each orgasm. She doesnt know what it is either, she suggested a PH imbalance, which is my guess too, but when I use something like RePhresh, it doesnt exaclty fix it. Im going to use some advice I found much earlier on the page, and see how that goes. Hopefully it works, I will let you know! <3

[reese35804]

It is true you should consult your Doctor.  If unsucessful!  Try this home remedy.  I have been dealing with this issue of odor down there for about ten years.  All it took was a matter of googling and got my answer.  My last doctors visit on my pap smear results it showed i was all good for no kind of diseases but it showed that my vaginal flora was off suggestive of bv.   Imagine how pist I was that the Doctor didnt suggest anything or even tell me .  It was just mailed to me.  I called and they said "Oh your fine its natural just wash more or try dushing.  So guess what?  After going on line that day about 3 months ago here is what I found out.  Walmart or any other place that sells vitamins may have what you need.  That is an inexpensive bottle of Acidophilus.  This is a little yellow pill that actually have millions and billions of live active cultures that you find in plain white yogurt.   I used to wonder why my mother used to keep that nasty stuff in the fridge.  Never saw her eat it!   I was so desperate i used all of the suggestions on line.  I bought the highest number of cultures.  I bought plain yogurt.  I also bought douches with the purified water and peroxide well the stuff thats kind of dark brown.  You will be able to find it.  Any way I douched for 3 days straight and at night i did the tampon with the yogurt.  On top of all that i took the acidophilu daily and still do take them.  Believe me that is about as natural as you can get meaning the yogurt and the pill.   After 10 years same partner no longer an issue with odor.  Love oral sex on me now.  Not self conscience.

[SHaVeL]

I had sex with my partner 5 or 6 times! During my years of having sex,I've nva developed an odor until the last time we had sex. The first time I noticed it I was shockd n didn't know wut it was until I thought hard about it and I was beginning to discharge a little. So I went home and douched so the smell was gone. The last time we had sex he came inside of me and from then on I've had this smelly vagina. Its not a foul smell its just not my usual smell and I don't like the smell! I began to have thoughts about being prego bcuz I strtd feeling diff bt I'm on the pill n since we had sex I had bled btw periods.....can someone help???

[mona555]

Hi dear, I had the same problem but i dont have it anymore.I explained in  my previous comment above. Please try and you will see the result.
If you tried please let everybody know how it works.

mona555

[hsv_bestie]

Oh my golly, Peoples. Yes i am  man. Yes i too have noticed this smell/odour.
I believe i have a strong sense of smell, but lack of spelling ability so dont hold that against me.
I do believe it is the ph level in both sperm and vaginal fluids. i have experianced this with 2 women  in the last 2 yrs. i was married prevoiusle for 8 yrs prior.
only with my last partner did i notice a faint odour during and after sex.
never with my wife
My current partner, who i love dearly we have a strong scent during and imediately after sex and it will last for days
i wash it off and when i use the toilet  i can smell it on my hands from touching it.
So i do pity  the lovely ladies in here cause the smell is overwhelming sometimes.
But.,
I cant smell it before sex even after the 4th time in 1 day.
the next day i can only smell it on her if i put my head in her lap
I can smell it on  myself days later but>>>
We made this smell together so i embrass it..
only due to the that its ours and we made it expressing our feelings towards each other.
ask yr partner i bet he/she is slightly proud of it.
i think from what i am reading  most people here are afraid of someone smelling that they had sex.

So basically summing up my rantings and miss spellings
I have never smelt it on anyone else but myself. unless i put my head between my partners legs and i mean close!
it is a ph ballance thing and yes prob mostley us blokes doing it
Been told its what we eat ladies.
ask yrself have you smelt that on anyone else that yr not intimate with?
Do what   i do . imbrass it  next time you  smell it  sit down smile and think of the lovely time you 2 had and enjoy the moment.
I know i didnt help anyone
but i was hoping  that a bloke being too honnest for his own good might be refreshing and yet relieving

[kdix707]

I have figured out that it is the smell of male and female fluids mixed together.  My new boyfriend and I have been together for 6 weeks and we have sex everyday, sometimes several times a day.  I am 43, and had a hystorectomy 5 years ago.  I had problems with the odor after about a week of regular sex.  Once I cleaned out my vagina, I was fine.  I have had periods of abstinance between boyfriends, and I did not have a problem with odor.  It was only when I am became sexually active.  After sex, I get up and go sit on the toilet and allow the seman to drain out. Then I wash with soap and water.  If I do not clean out right after sex, I have the bad odor. I call it the sex smell.  The key is keeping the vagina very clean.

kdix

[WoodofTricia05]

I too have had this reoccurring problem! The smell seems to happen during or after sex... I have had 3 pap smears in the last 5 months for this problem, with 2 different doctors. The first time the doctor said it was a bacterial infection and prescribed to me an antibiotic called flagyl, but then later called me when my results came in and told me I had gotten Chylamedia (however its spelled) which is from my ex-boyfriend who had cheated on me probably numerous times ( I only know of one time, but I'm sure there were more women) I was with him for 2 years and we were engaged. Anyways so the doctor told me to stop taking the antibiotics and prescribed me something else. The antibiotics got rid of the STD but not the vaginal smell, so I went back and told them I thought I still had chylamedia, so they checked for it again and gave me Flagyl again thinkin it was BV. So I took the Flagyl while I waited for my results to come back and they came back clean so I continued to take the antibiotic and sure enough it went away for about two months... Then my new bf and I decided to go swimming in a lake and I got water in my ear and ended up gettin an ear infection and went to the doctors and they put me on antibiotics for that, which in turn gave me a yeast infection so I treated that with Monistat 7 and I ended up running out of the cream before the 6th day of it and I wasn't having any itching so I figured it would be ok to have sex again, so we did and immediately afterward I started itching again! So I bought Monistat 1 ( bad, bad idea) I ended up getting a major rash and painful swelling down there, having read posts about Monistat 1 I decided to just wait it out and it eventually went away and my vagina went back to normal. It did cure it but very painfully... Anyways right after my vagina was back to normal my bf and I decided to have sex again and the smell was back!! (I think it was an inbalance with the two Monistats I used?) So I went back to the doctors again for it and they prescribed me Flagyl again and it went away for only a week this time (Maybe I did something wrong during the treatment of it?) I started taking the rePHresh pills daily for about 2 weeks now and it works all the way up until we have sex! The smell is not nearly as strong as it was, but its still there! I've even started taking garlic and vitamin b pills, I even drink a bottle of the dan active yogurts daily, nothing seems to be working so far... I'm too scared to try anything that sounds harmful like douching and the peroxide with the baster, or the tampon dipped in yogurt.... I just don't know what to do anymore, just glad I'm not alone!

[cg13]

bacterial infection...only thing that will cause down there to smell..ive had it...i hated it so much...go to ur gyno...either cream or pills...i like the pills better

[ThumperPie]

I've never had an issue with odor after intercourse until I started having sex with my current boyfriend.  As with the posts above, it lasts about 2 to 3 days, but since we have sex frequently, its like it never goes away.  I've had sex in the past in relationships where a condom wasn't used and have never had this issue until now, so I'm a believer in the PH theory.  I'm going to try the peroxide method and see how that works, while also boosting my yogurt intake.  I am SO relieved I'm not alone ... its so embarrassing.  My boyfriend hasn't mentioned it and I dont really smell it during sex... only afterwards.

[RS82]

Okay. This is all very helpful information but I'm still confused as hell!
I too get that horrible odour after sex, and I too sit on the toilet, let the semen drain out and then wash thoroughly. My last vaginal examination came back fine and I eat a plenty of fruit and vegetables. I'm very conscious about body odour and clean regularly.
I wasn't sure if it was normal to get that fishy odour after sex hence why I googled it and thankfully found this site
...
I am now 15 weeks pregnant and I ate some fish a few days ago and an hour later I reaked of it downstairs. Ive been thoroughly cleaning up to 4 times a day every day since consuming the fish and it's still lingering. Is it actually possible the fish has caused this smell or could it be that the washing after sex is just not getting rid of the smell anymore due to change of hormone levels?  I do not understand and am going crazy cause I'm SO SO self conscious about it!!!!  Argh!

[applesgy]

gosh, as everyone has said... i'm so glad i found this site! i have never had this problem with any of my partners after either protected or unprotected sex. however, i've been with my current partner for just over a month. as soon as we stopped using condoms this smell appeared the day after sex. i knew it was the sperm straight away, as i knew i'd smelled a similar smell before...this was when i was emptying my bedroom bin and i found a used condom which had been in there forgotten about for quite a few days! it STANK! as my partner and i have sex about 6 times a week, the smell never goes and i have started to become paranoid that everyone can smell it! i have just made an appointment with the doctor to check it's not bv. but i think i'll go back to using condoms even though i hate them.

[guestypops]

I'm glad too, united on the internet with smelly fannies, but I'm disheartened we still don't know what to do!

I came across a very old article about the decomposition of seminal fluids 'putrifying' so that's what it is, whether it is a combination of yours and his or just his fluids decomposing, either way I am in no doubt that is the cause, but what is the cure?

I don't know about odour but yoghurt has worked for me for irritation or you know when you think you might get thrush, although it feels pretty funny... hey where are you going with that yoghurt?

The peroxide thing sounds like a very bad idea!! The vinegar thing...... well maybe? Are vaginas supposed to be acidic or alkaline? I've just always been told never to wash internally but what else to do?

I have a Femfresh vaginal moisturiser, sometimes I try and 'scoop' out the semen (yeah gross but worse than stinking of fish?!) and wash with warm water (I don't have any of this douching apparatus?!) then apply a bit of that around the opening. Still, even that is a pain and doesn't really work it just improves it, I'm wary of going too far and getting thrush or something.

There must be something you can cleanse internally with that doesn't kill the bacteria, like maybe just a gel that neutralises the odour? Or rebalances the PH if that is the cause. Who knows.

[SNGLMOMMY]

thank you for your comments and concerns, i thought i was the only one as well. I have gone to the MD and no BV just had a UTI then when I have sex with my partner I smell, even though his sperm is not inside of me...

[scotgal80]

Ive had this same problem since meeting my present partner 2 years ago! Since we started sleeping together i noticed some very bad smells coming from down there, which got especially bad for a few days after we had sex. We've both been std tested so i knew that wasn't the cause. It was so bad i could smell it through my clothes and was so paranoid about people being able to smell me! I found washing and showering more just didn't help so i tried this: Buy some Natural Probiotic Yoghurt ( i bought Asda's own low fat one ) then first thing in the morning, dip a tampon into the yoghurt, making sure its well covered with it then insert it into your vagina, any excess just rub it over the outside area of your vagina. Leave it in for 5 hours then take it out and repeat the process immediately. I did this for a full day and the smell completely vanished, it was great and such a sense of relief!!! I was smell free for a good few days but then we had sex again and the smell came back, so i definitely agree that some mens sperm can interfere with the ph of a womens vagina. Ive been doing the yoghurt thing the day after we have sex for a few weeks now and would definitely recommend it.  Its just a pain having to do it everytime after we have sex, however we dont live together so thankfully we only tend to have sex once every week or 2! Although we did do it a few days ago and i didn't have any yoghurt so didn't do it that day so the smell has come back but its not nearly as bad as it was before i started doing this, so give it a try and see if it works for you!

[scotgal80]

Ive had this same problem since meeting my present partner 2 years ago! Since we started sleeping together i noticed some very bad smells coming from down there, which got especially bad for a few days after we had sex. We've both been std tested so i knew that wasn't the cause. It was so bad i could smell it through my clothes and was so paranoid about people being able to smell me! I found washing and showering more just didn't help so i tried this: Buy some Natural Probiotic Yoghurt ( i bought Asda's own low fat one ) then first thing in the morning, dip a tampon into the yoghurt, making sure its well covered with it then insert it into your vagina, any excess just rub it over the outside area of your vagina. Leave it in for 5 hours then take it out and repeat the process immediately. I did this for a full day and the smell completely vanished, it was great and such a sense of relief!!! I was smell free for a good few days but then we had sex again and the smell came back, so i definitely agree that some mens sperm can interfere with the ph of a womens vagina. Ive been doing the yoghurt thing the day after we have sex for a few weeks now and would definitely recommend it.  Its just a pain having to do it everytime after we have sex, however we dont live together so thankfully we only tend to have sex once every week or 2! Although we did do it a few days ago and i didn't have any yoghurt so didn't do it that day so the smell has come back but its not nearly as bad as it was before i started doing this, so give it a try and see if it works for you!

[C_Starlight]

I'm in my late twenties but only started using the pill about 3 years ago. When i was about 20 one of my friends happened to mention that men's spern really stinks, especially after it has been inside you.

Seeing as i have always previously used condoms, i never noticed this fact. I been with my current partner for nearly 4 years now hence the reason i went on the pill. Surprise the surprise, the moment we stop using condoms i noticed this strong fishy smell the morning after sex.
Have also had BV in the past and know that the discharge and symptoms you get with that are completely different.

It is so strong that i started insisting that we use condoms, which he wasn't keen on.

He doesn't seem to smell anything though i complain about it quite a bit and hate the smell!!!! i have no doubt that it is down to the sperm mixing inside the vagina. sometimes after sex i'll go straight to the toilet and 'squeeze' as much as the ejaculation out as possible, after doing this i realised the smell wasn't so bad in the morning.

magazines are a let down, only loudmouth girlfriends would tell you something like this!! (thank god for them).

Please do not take any drastic measures to deal with this. vagina's are so sensitive it takes hardly anything to upset their natural balance. I have been to the gp during my teens with various concerns and insecurities that you get at that age and they are completely dismissive of your feelings!!

Best thing to do is to use a vaginal friendly soap bar like replens (not the gel, it's for post menopausal women mainly) or soap free vaginal wash like vagisil.

[lilmjshorty]

I totally have this issue too. My husband and I have been married for 3 years but have been having sex for about 6 years. When we were just dating he ALWAYS pulled out. After we got married we decided not to pull out anymore and we haven't since. Even the morning after our wedding night I noticed this foul smelling odor and was repulsed by it. I knew where it was coming from and was so embarrassed and hoped that no one else could smell it. I realized the only thing I could do was douche to get rid of it but now that we are TTC I'm not really sure what to do. I've heard of RePHresh but I know that probably isn't safe when TTC because I've heard it kills sperm... who knows?

I agree with all of you... why didn't anyone ever talk to us about this?

[suitntie]

My GF started to smell after I got a  vasectomy and started ejaculateing inside her.
I have avoided saying anything but she recently told me she had a doctors appointment so I spoke up.I figured there is no way she could not smell this.
She got pretty mad at me and said she is 40 and her body is changing and it seemed like she was in denial.
I was as gentle as could be when i told her and told her I was worried about her health. I didnt just say Honey You Stink.
She is mad.What do I do?

[decaturgirl]

I have this same smell everytime I have sex also. But I was able to become pregnant about a month after me and my boyfriend tired. We have changed our diets and the smell is still here.

[babygirl707143]

I am a 28 year old mother of 2. I am always up on my gyn checkups and paps, do not have any infections or anything of that concern.

~Now That Said~

I have this same problem too. I have been intimate with my partner since January and the stench is really bad the day after. I get comments from his brother about hygiene. Sometime I can't take a shower at his house unless I want to freeze but I will wipe myself down as it cleans me as well as decreases the smell. We have sex like twice a day and he loves to go down on me so I am of course self concious about the smell.

I do not douche use peroxide, or tampons with yogurt, doesn't mean I am against it. I just choose not to do it. This is all I do.
Everytime i shower i also bathe (shower 1st then bathe) I have a tequnique that has worked pretty well for me. While I am lying down in the bath I suck water up my vagina and blow it out about 5 times,( this may sound a little gross but you can even see the semen come out) and this has taken care of the problem for me for about 6 years.  

Hope I could be of any help

[cruz2008]

Hi, I'm using antibiotics and I read that it kills bad bacteria as well as good bacteria, I found an article on the net that says that while taking antibiotics you can open an Acidophilus capsule and form a paste with water (or the whole capsule)  and insert into the vagina to maintain a healthy vaginal Ph Balance, i did it the first night and nothing happened, my vaginal discharge was normal, i did it the second night and the next day i started having brown discharge (odorless) i'm doubtful, it looks like old blood, like the one we have when the period is ending, when I shower i insert my fingers to see if I still have that brown discharge and it's still there. PLEASE HELP!

p.s. I don't have any pain or discomfort, just the brown fluid.

[cleothelion]

Recently ive had BV.
i didnt want to try antibiotics after doing so much research on the internet my head would explode, hearing that it kills all bacteria even the good ones and theres more chance of re-occurance.
I tried using Balance Activ gel but it still came back after i had used it as directed.

So instead i went to a health food store (like holland and barratt) and bought some probiotics. they are acidophilus, and you take these orally. you take these twice a day and it helps restore lacobacillus (good bacteria) in your vagina. If you cant remember the name (like i couldnt) just ask the health food assistant, they will be able to help you find what you need. I said i wanted to balance the bacteria in my body.

Another thing i have started doing is eating Activia yogurt twice a day, or you could have more what ever you want. And making sure i definitely get my 5 a day. Within a few days my BV cleared up!

I do believe that our natural lubricant is Alkaline and seaman is Acidic. So having unprotected sex does cause us to become unbalanced - this is what causes the smell.

My BV has gone completely and ive had unprotected sex approx. 5 times since and it has not returned having kept up my probiotic taking, yogurt eating and 5 a days.
Good luck. If that doesnt work, try googling BV i found SO much information just from reading sites like this.

[mannysgirl]

I am surprised that some people think that this is a NEW issue caused from something NEW in our diet or environment.   The only reason why we are finding out more about this issue is because people are talking more about the issue.  Before it was improper to discuss such matters or just too embarrassing.  
Some advice:

1) Does it smell before/during sex? Might be an infection or diet(meat and vegetables are major contributors to bad smells)

2)Only smells after unprotected sex? Probably a PH thing, but double check with doctor about infections.
-Try having sex with a condom and see if that changes things
-Don't have your man ejaculate inside you(Tell your man that you will feel sexier and want to have more sex if you are not worried so much about the smell downstairs.  What man would say no to more sex?
-TRY REPHRESH or similar products

BE CAREFUL WITH HERBAL REMEDIES! Many herbs are very potent and can affect your prescription medications like Birth control.  Please just talk to your doctor before taking any herbal remedies.

AND PLEASE DO NOT DO THE PEROXIDE TRICK or stick any weird things in your vagina!  Peroxide may get rid of the smell but is very corrosive.  Just think about how peroxide makes blood stains disappear. Just call your doctor or clinic for suggestions.   I think it is less embarrassing to ask your doctor about this issue rather than try to explain to your doctor why you shoved a yogurt covered tampon up your vagina.  But at least your man would be happy going down on a key lime pie flavored lady.( I was kidding, please do not flavor your vagina with yogurt!)

[msscarlet]

I've been with 8 men over the course of my life and have never had a problem with "fishy" vag until now. My current BF and fiancee (one in the same) mentioned his ex-wife had terrible "tuna-boat vagina."

"***** to be her," I said.

Now I'm eating my words. Since being with him, I've had the same symptoms as many here have:  fishy smell for a day or two after sex. I'm totally humbled (and appalled).

My BF is very understanding-- and should be since he's likely half the problem. I'm just sad because there's something to be said for letting sex "run it's course." Meaning, if you're both having an orgasm at the same time, who wants to stop and pull out? But if you don't, there's gonna be smell to pay. I mean hell to pay.

I'm skeptical of products who claim to remedy the situation because I think a lot of companies feed off of women's insecurities just to make money. Like feminine sprays and deoderants. What a bunch of crap. But here I am, leaking mahi mahi juice as a result of yesterday's love making romp. I'm not gonna lie, sometimes it just ***** to be a girl. So it looks like I'm in the market (the fish market) for some "remedy." Too bad some really brilliant female gyno's wouldn't take this problem on.

[Austintyler]

I would have to agree with a couple in this post that something isn't normal about it. I have been to a couple different doctors. I have had STD test done, I have had my prostate checked with a finger. Also seems to affect my bladder, but I have had cultures and urine test done also, and nothing has come back. Other than that , my semen doesn't smell unless I am with a woman. If I use a condom no smell at all. I do get this effect with every women I have been with since it started to appear. I feel some of the trouble people go through just to make it  not smell is almost ridiculous, it should not be that way. I have searched many sites and I can find nothing on my other symptoms that plays a role with it. So I could have two different problems. Whatever the case is, trying to mask it with all this trouble and how big of an issue it is tells me something is wrong. It is also destroying my sex life.

I have come across something interesting that hasn't been brought up yet.

http://www.healthscout.com/ency/68/435/main.html#cont

[mrs_morgan816]

Okay, I've wiped my laughter tears away long enough to post to you all. I usually don't 'blog' or post anything...EVER! But, you guys are not alone. I, too, experience the same with my husband of 5 years. Here's the real talk, ladies; yes...it's a chemistry thing. PH differences do play a big role in the odor you'll have post ejaculation. Our bodies go through changes so you may have a stronger odor at times or none at all depending on 1- your monthly cycle (because the PH changes to be hospitable to the egg that drops) 2- age (the 'change' changes our chemistry since no more eggs or multiple eggs drop and we're hormonally all over the place) and 3- your birth control method (since some prevent the egg from dropping and some prevent the uterine lining from building up to sustain the egg... its all about how the environment reacts to the change the b/c causes). ALL THAT along with whatever HIS body is doing causes the odor MOST of the time.
SOLUTIONS: 1- get checked for STI's, BV, etc. Use the good old 'rule out' method. 2- never use bar soap 'down there' as it causes your smell eating bacteria to die and we all obviously need those lil suckers! 3- mix one part vinegar to one part water and 3 caps of peroxide and douche the next morning...twice for some of us. 4- use HIS body wash. Can't explain this part but for some reason when I use his AXE or OLD SPICE body wash the smell goes away even without douching.
Hope this helps you all!

[helpmeoverthis]

I am 43 and climbing the hill of perimenopause.  I never had this problem until the last relationship.  Apparently there is something to this, but it didn't start until i stopped using vinegar and water regularly.  My mother had a friend that lived till she was 103 and she prescribed me 1/2 cup water to two tbl. sps. of apple cider vinegar as medicine and it cured my migraines.  Well she also told me to use it as a natural douche, because my body has always over produced bacteria which I always thought was an STD- its not.  So I agree with mrs_morgan816, but I will now add the peroxide.  Thanks for all the information on this because I don't like to take prescriptions if I don't have too.  Also, the plain yogurt does work.  It just isn't permanent; however, the plain or apple vinegar (which ever is in your pantry) will do the trick.  

[Lissa29]

Hi all am new to this so bear with me..  I am 29 and TTC but lately I have been noticing a very nasty smell from my vagina.  I am a very health conscious person who take pride in cleaning my body.  But was so shocked and ashmaed when I discovered that i have a nasty smell.  It is embarassing beacuse i will be at work going to the bathroom regularly to check for teh smell.  I went to my obgyn about 3 times and she is saying that am fine, but I don't think so beacuse i shouldn't have athis smell.  I am so confused and still ashamed of this nasty smell.

[Alicebvt]

Cheers, Lissa.
Two keywords in your query are "TTC", and "lately". The first denotes that you may be trying things that you normally wouldn't, whatever those things may be, and the second means you have noticed a change in your body based on the expert's assessment (YOU). Bad news is just because you noticed a change today, it doesn't necessarily mean you ate something or did something yesterday that directly caused it.

I can empathise with the confusion you feel, because there is no objective answer or solution to the very subjective issue of odours, although the perception is very real indeed to the individual. My belief is that you've already done the right thing in having yourself checked out by a med professional. That should always be the first step in these kinds of issues, I've found. You must rule out truly nasty causes, but remember that doesn't mean there isn't something else at work causing the changes you have noticed.

We all have different body chemistries, but I would steer clear of quick-fixes that cost alot, especially drugs, cosmetic sprays, cleansers, douches and the like. You might look for some dietary, nutritional, or other experimental changes you can make to see what works for you. In my case, I have come to terms with a certain level of odour that I wouldn't choose to have, but that appears to be "normal" for me. Benign dietary changes should probably be given a month to decide upon.

[cherrybloom]

i have this very same issue and its really embarrasing @ work,  not sure how to get rid of it but i found just using tampons and changing it like you would with your period sometimes helps- think it stops the smell coming out so bad and when you change it i imagine its taking away any sperm residue left up your walls, sorry for the bad terminology :). also put one in before you put undies on otherwise if you dont your discharge that gets on your undies will also smell then the tampon thing wont work as well :) never had much problems using tampons without a period.

[luv4myboo08]

i being the 129 millionth person who has experienced this as well and as i see yrs ago to now we r all having similar signs i have 2 agree wit the balance between partners i have never had this with anyone i`ve slept with in any relationship and now my hunny of 4 yrs we do ....i eat fruit regularly and still do....but only when he ejaculates inside me go figure so i did a test we had sex he pulled out no smell he ejaculated in me and there it was again so ladies just wash up afterwards for me its annoying becuz we r trying for a baby but if your not just go freshen up and rephresh does wrk i tried it and there is a home std test that works as well so glad to say we will all be ok just clean up down thier with something that freshens her up!!

[noelnicole]

let me say that i completely understand all of you ladies who experience the unpleasant odor after sex. it can definitely be a frustrating thing to deal with. as with most everyone else, i experience this situation only after my husband ejaculates inside of me, and the unpleasant odor hangs around for a day or two regardless of the amount of washing that i do in attempt to remove it.

what is important for us to realize about this phenomenon is that our natural vaginal pH is acidic, due, in part, by the amount of lactobacillus that naturally colonize our vaginas. this is our normal, healthy state, and the presence of this particular bacteria protects us from many other bacterial infections. semen, however, is designed with an alkaline pH in order to neutralize the acidic pH of our bodies- if this wasn't so, sperm would never survive the trip through our vaginas and the means by which we procreate would be frustrated. as a byproduct of this pH change, however, our body's colony of lactobacillus is diminished, and other bacterial species are allowed to flourish, causing the intense odor. this particular situation is known as bacterial vaginosis, abbreviated "BV". this bacterial imbalance doesn't happen with everyone, or in every instance of sex. getting it really depends on the individual pH of the vagina and the ejaculate, and the woman's natural vaginal flora. antibiotics can be given to treat the condition, although in many instances, they are not necessary as oftentimes the situation with clear up on it's own.

in my personal situation, i have recognized that this phenomenon occurs probably about half the time. i notice that the texture and odor of my husband's semen will change from day to day as well, depending on the amount of physical activity he undergoes and what foods and supplements he consumes. i have noticed that the occurrence of odor after sex happens more often when he is taking a protein supplement. as amines and amides are naturally alkaline, it's not really all that surprising that this is reflected in his semen. i am not big on running to antibiotics for help with everything- i am a nursing student, and have studied microbiology, and unless i absolutely need antibiotics, i wont take them. i am very interested in this "rephresh" product that has been mentioned, and even though the hydrogen peroxide douche sounds a little perilous- i'm pretty hesitant to do that to myself- it makes a bit of sense why that would work. lactobacillus is an aerobic bacteria, and actually produce hydrogen peroxide. this production of hydrogen peroxide is what limits the growth of other bacteria- particularly the anaerobic micrococcus that is responsible for BV. so i suppose a feminine douche made of part hydrogen peroxide would help in restoring some of the appropriate vaginal bacterial balance- but like i said before, i'm really hesitant to try it at this time. i'm not big on douching, but i suppose if i ever became desperate enough i'd give it a shot. for now, my only "remedy" is to wait out the odor... makes for a long few days. ladies- don't let the men blame you for this one. we smell fine if they don't ejaculate inside of us. if they don't want you to smell like that, they can pull out or use a condom. that's what i tell my husband.

[loopyloulou]

i too have this same problem, since i was 16 with my now husband. and previous partners i didnt have this problem, only my husband. has got me down for a long time and felt like a "freak". nice to know im not the only one with the embarassing thing. went docs when i was 16 they did some tests and siad no everything is fine and in order. great thanks lol. that was 6 years ago so now i just use a condom. however want to try for a baby in the next couple of years so i dont know how i will tackle that one. x x x

[concernedbf152]

There was a mention about rephresh gel that gets pH balances back to "normal".  But it doesn't seem anyone here has tried it or if they have it hasn't worked?  What are the results people have had with rephresh?  Does it get rid of the oder?

[websty]

Actually, I had a doctors appt today and I asked them this same question after reading this, and indeed sperm can make you smell because of an unbalanced ph! I am clean. I have never had an std in my life, I get tested regularly and have been married for 5 years. I lost my virginity to him, so I'm not getting anything. I've never even had a yeast infection either, but this problem has happened to me.I say TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR like I did, instead of taking advice from people who may or may not know wtf they're talking about. Only your doctor can test you, and tell you what's going on with your body. Everybodies different. Don't listen to other people because they think it SOUNDS like something. Who knows...maybe they had BV before.. haha

[msscarlet]

I've never tried douching because I've always heard it's not a good idea, but to restore vaginal ph and to get rid of the ensuing fishy smell I'm willing to try. So .... for those of you who mix your own vinegar/water douches, how do you get the solution up inside your vagina? Please don't make me go buy some funky water bottle bag with attachments. Yikes. Do you do it at night before bed? Do you do it right after sex to prevent the smell or do you wait? Sometimes I use the Rephresh gel with good results but I don't always like relying on stuff like that. Just saying.

[roses112233]

1st off its not always due to a man's sperm. There's too many diseases out there even though you're in a committed relationship or not. Men and women aren't going to tell you everything that they do in the dark so when sex is involved condoms are always being used. As a test I didn't eat for about 2 weeks only drinking fluids and drinking Alkin's nutrient drinks. I did not have sex with anyone. I smell perfectly clean. Within those 2 weeks I did get tested by my Dr. and no disease or STDs or BV. No foul odors or nothing. Perfectly healthy down there. AS A TEST... I tried masturbation. WOMEN do ejaculate a very tad little to somewhat when we orgasim. Afterwards I was fine no smell. The next day comes along usually a few hours later there's that dang sex smell. It only happens if I orgasim or have sex for more than 2 hours. Rather its with a guy or through masturbation test that I did. The smell lingures for about 2-3 days. I'VE tried the Refresh, the proxide thing, and among other things it don't work. Im going to try the vineger and water and the old spice or axe. I will let you know the 1st week of July if that worked.

[lovethebeach85]

yeah i too suffer from this after sex but you know im glad im not the only one cause i thought i was

[rocky818]

tell them to pull out! if you wana have more sex.. and if  youknow that your not going tohave sex let him enjoy by staying in.Thats really the only thing thats going to help.. theres nothing you can do about it.. IT STINKS! and if men dont know about it they are GAY!! lol  love everyone ♥ peace♥

[bbq12]

Im having the same problem, but We used a condom, and he didnt even *** in me IN THE CONDOM....and my vagina stinks. Havnt gone to the Dr. yet.. But will tomorrow. I cant believe this. Cause I dont know whats going on.

[vixun14]

I recently became sexually active and have noticed an unforeseen odor after every romp with or without the use of condoms. My boyfriend, however, has never ejaculated inside of me. This leads me to question whether the problem is solely due to semen emissions. Does anyone else have insight or experience with their significant other having never ejaculated while inside them yet still having obvious odor problems?

[kizieme3]

WOW!  This is all so interesting.  My Bf and I have always used condoms, except twice.  The first time without the condom, he didn't ejaculate in me and there was no smell, although I got a slight yeast infection.  Then we went back to using condoms and everything has been fine.  Well yesterday we did it without the condoms again.  He ejaculated in me and OMG, this morning I almost gagged.  The smell was horrible!  He's had a vesectamy (don't know if that has anything to do with it or not) but I was really ready to accuse him of cheating until I ran across this site.  I'm so glad I read all these post.  I'm embarrassed to talk to him about it bc I don't know if he noticed the smell.  We had sex like 3 or 4 times in one day.  So I don't know if it has anything to do with how many times we had sex, his spermed mixed with my vagina juices, or something to do with him having a vesectamy....I love having unprotected sex with him but I do not love the foul smell.

[iWantItAll]

Thank you ladies for being so open and honest about this! I have been dealing with my fiance for 5 years now and this issue began in about the 2nd year of our relationship, the same time that we began having unprotected sex.  I was using Nuvaring at the time and stopped 13 months ago now.  When I was on BC, he would still pull out (for fear of failure of BC), but I would still experience this FUNKY fish odor the morning after.  God knows how long it would linger, because I tried to wait it out 3 or 4 days and it would just get worse!!

I went to my gyno just about every month to get checked out because I had NEVER experienced any foul smell coming from my vagina.  I have NEVER had an STD, and everytime I went, she would just say that I was all clear, that "it's my body rejecting his" I guess her way of saying that our PH was way off.  I have tried Rephresh, and it definitely works to take the smell away, but it comes right back when we have sex again.  What's worse, there is a nasty film/discharge that is created when I have sex while the gel is inside of me. It's to the point where I feel like we should DEMAND some answers.  There is a WHOLE ENTIRE NEW MARKET of products out there for this issue.  Is there something more going on here?

My partner and I have been TTC for about 3 months now and since we've been trying, the smell just gets worse.  I just want to cry. I love this man, and he's understanding of the situation, but like me, I think he's beginning to lose his patience.  I'm soooooo tired of dealing with this.  Where can we go? I am definitely going to follow my gyno's advice and NOT douche, especially not with peroxide.  I'm willing to make the dietary changes and add supplements.  Also, I've found that Metrogel works too.  One close friend of mine is actually on Metronidazole treatments.  After each sexual encounter, she inserts a small amount of the gel and there is no odor the next day.  I am more than willing to try this, as it is way more affordable than the Rephresh, but I'm afraid that my body will build up an immunity to it. I'm so FRUSTRATED with this whole thing!!! Can somebody come up with a permanent solution already!!!!  Thanks for being here ladies.  Feels so good to know I'm not alone in this!!

[vbird05]

Came on the net a little embarrassed but looking for answers to the above odor problem.  I definitely experience more after unprotected sex.  (am in a long term relationship atm and didn't have this issue before when had partners who i used condoms with inc. this partner)  My  boyfriend never has any odor and he is very  clean, however he does ejaculate alot and I dont always feel totally clean after washing either. Im open with him about it, but i do feel i avoid having oral sex (which I love) because I can smell it so im pretty sure he would be able to and does sometimes.
When discussed at the GU clinic which my tests have always come back negative, I was told the odor could be caused by unbalanced ph also  caused by washing with soap , which I do after having intercourse. More sex, more washing, more soap!!! So I am baffled as what to do!! Its looking more likely that it will be back to condoms again, for some of the time.  Anyway I just wanted to thank you and say I know how you feel. Hopefully the magic answer will come soon x

[Mishy2010]

Firstly, I am really so glad that I am not alone in this. Well, I've just experienced this awful smell after having sex with my bf for the second time, two days ago. The first time I had not smell at all, but a day after having sex, I have this dead fish smell!!! I keep on smelling the smell all over my body and this is embarrassing just by the thought that someone might smell it too.  After reading postings on this helpful website, I've realised something. The first time we were intimate he did not consume any alcohol, however this time around he had some amount of alcohol in his bloodstream (whisky/brandy). Could it be that alcohol raises Ph levels in the blood? I think I am for the Ph theory and the compatibility of semen in a female body. But I still believe one should check it out with one's doc, just to be safe.   Just to add to it too, I am having a slight back pain going down my right leg, but also suffering back pains after the birth of my son. So, I am not so sure whether I should link the two.  No funny discharge or itching.
Last night in desperation, I’ve used salt water to clean my V and I must say the smell is not like yesterday’s.
Just a thought....

[mamabear900]

I cant believe this yea I was looking for something to cure my smell to this ***** n sorry to sound crude but men are always complaining that women stink n its not fair maybe it could be them lol just kidding but really. I was thinking maybe it could be the mixture of spit from oral sex and sometimes anal secretions from some people. Dont know but the peroxide thing sounds great for me i wil try it diluted?

[rbailey3]

http://www.waterworkshealth.com/vaginalodor/index.php?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=causes#

I have been with my bo for 3 yrs and am having the same problem but it was after i go the Mirena. Sometimes I wonder is there some type of bacteria that we don't know of yet. Or does our men have something in their Uretha that makes them acidic. My bo did some research on passing kidney stones and haveing pieces left in his penis which is one option but we'll never know. Dr's always say that you can't pass bacteria back and forth but really i do believe you can especially BV but what if ther is something else. Then sometimes i wonder what if bacteria is capable of getting stuck to your cervix and then you and your man keep passing it back and forth which is why it smells worse when you combine with each other. If he is shooting bacteria in you and they only test for BV what other types of bacteria can get in your vagina. I'm not sure but will not take a no answer from my Dr. because i had a sweet smell and want it back period. I will send this forum to my Gyno an tell him to bring it to his board to see if there is in fact something else out there. I attached a website of something i will try. It is being cleansed by Tap Water. sounds cool.....

[rbailey3]

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Urology/Bacteria-in-prostate-Corynebacteria--now-Enterrococci/show/225202
I wonder if the man has bacteria in his prostate and it came through the urethra when they shoot it out can it come out into us when we have sex causing our balance to go out of wack.. Just a thought :)

[rbailey3]

http://www.localharvest.org/penis-soak-infection-C4513
Penis Soak - Infection
Important for men whose female partner may have a female malady such as a yeast infection, cystitis, Gardnerella, Trichomanas, venereal warts or Urethitis. These bacteria can be passed back and forth between partners not allowing one to fully heal. These washes allow the bacteria to be controlled and killed through the penis. The penis will store the bacteria in the urethra and will re-release it in the female during intercourse.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm I wonder

[NoMoreBeer]

Ladies it is not you. It is what your man eats that makes his semen smell when it is deposited inside of you. I'm a man. My girlfriend never smelled after sex when I met her. But then occasionally she began to smell like rotten fish a few hours after sex. The answer MAY be beer the man is drinking. Other alcohol beverages do not have this effect. When I drink beers she always smells bad hours or the next day. If I don't have beer she smells fresh all the time regardless how often we have sex. I was soooo happy when I found this out. I usually drank 1-2 beers every couple of days. Drinking one beer per week does not cause a problem. Women are getting a bad rap from men for years about smelling fishy. When all this time, the MAN is the one causing women to smell. Ladies blame the men's diet.

[Pumpkin19]

I know exactly what you are talking about, it is caused from the male sperm!! its awful smell but i sometimes get it too if i dont shower and urine straight after u have to push all the semen out lol, some women smaller in that area will hold the sperm in while others it will all come out at once. i invested in special bath gel for that area use it in the shower straight after sex and pee as much as u can, dry off n u should be all good, unless u can see or feel semen seeping out still. if you sleep in the same underwear semen has leaked onto it will be very foul smelling the next day. dont stress about it to much its the male sperm

[Charilynn]

Perxiode may work for the smell BUT, have you read the bottle that says DO NOT USE INTERNALLY!! That includes the vagina! It may work but it could ALSO cause OTHER problems! So just because you THINK it works, or someone told you it works for them, make sure you READ for yourself before doing so. The body is a self cleaning ORGAN, besides the skin which you use SOAP and WATER on!! And I do understand what you ladies are going through, because I have some of the same problems. But just because I want these issues to go away doesn't make me wanna try ANYTHING! I love myself and my body more than that! ALWAYS consult with your doctor. Good Luck Ladies!

[shelbyshelby]

HELLO.  I'm obviously experiencing this too, but one thing I don't see ANYONE mentioning, is the SMELL ON THE GUY as well!
It seems the majority of cases start with BV. I had this as well, and I blamed my boyfriend at first because I wasn't noticing the smell on ME, so much as HIM.

Now I do not have BV anymore, but this smell is still reoccurring (not as strongly but it's still something). I would say after reading the gazillion comments, that is it the pH thing, but still... could anyone confirm for me that they also notice it on the guy?

I would like to consider myself good at giving head, and so would my boyfriend, so therefore I've never minded doing it, but sometimes (only the day or so after we have sex) I will go down on him and immediately want to come back up. I will even notice the smell on my hand if I'm giving him a hand job or arousing him that way.

It seems there is no magical cure, so I'm not really looking for any advice (although feel free to give some),
But... I'd just like to know if anyone else is noticing it on the guy as well!!??

(Take into consideration if your guy is circumcised or not. mine isn't)

[WifeOfAnIslandr]

I have had this problem for awhile, too now. I have noticed that the other variables for myself may be (whether I am fresh from the shower or have just gotten back from jogging) the smell will be there the next day if my husband's sperm is there inside of me the next day. (On the rare occasions that we have used condoms, no smell!) From browsing through some of these posts I've noticed the same trend for a few other women. Does anyone else think that may possibly be the case?

[TiredOfIllness]

ive smelled it on my husband sometimes as well...i hate this. i hate this whole ordeal. literally depresses me.

[Mercy1973]

I have been with the same guy for over 8 years, every now and then I have a smell after sex sometimes several days after but now he swears that I smell like another man and is trying to tell me that he thinks he might have an std I HAVE NOT CHEATED what should I do to prove my innocence!!!

[rbailey3]

Well it has been a month and a half or more since i had sex. I let my body rest and no sex. I have come back to my same smell and taste. So I would say it has something to do with the sperm shot in the vagina that changes our PH balance and gets us all out of wack. Because I had a smell like a man when i was having sex. Kinda like sweaty balls after sex and it would linger for days. I went to the Dr. and he said i didn't have any bacteria. So I decided to go to no sex to see what would happen. I am back to normal and taste and smell like me again. So it does have something to do with the mans sperm unless there is bacteria on their penis.

[gill388]

it does sound like you have a yest infection infection.  hope you sort it out soon k.

[Senika]

     I've encountered the 'smell' after sex with my now husband.  I've had dozens of lovers, never had an infection, never had an abnormal PAP, nothing.  The only variable here for me, is my husband sadly.  
     At first I thought he gave me something; come to find out it's just his sperm.  While some men may naturally have 'bad' sperm, my husband also has a bad diet and lifestyle.  I'm bringing this issue to my doctors next week (we're pregnant again yeah!)  cause I KNOW it's not me and he won't listen to me when I suggest it's him.  Although it's probably the blend of our pH's, I have no idea yet, cause he WON'T go to the doctor.  
     I dread unprotected sex with my own husband because of the nasty smell that lasts for 3 days afterward.  I have no answers, sorry.  But I'm sending him to buy condoms tomorrow cause I'm tired of it.  It's probably nature's sign saying, this one's not for you.  Too bad I didn't listen.......

[ksgirl02]

This is just from my understanding from dealing with issues and most of you above. If you have a smell constantly its usually an infection Bacterial vaginosis or a yest infection, and with those you usually have discharge. And in some instances its something else like polyps or cancer which is not likely, and everything else has been ruled out. Now if you have sex with your partner and they ejaculate inside you well this offsets your pH, and makes it smell horrible. Douching after sex with vinegar/water solution may help. Or there is a product that re balances the pH which is called Rephresh. If you don't really want to smell dont let them ejaculate inside you. There is nothing really do about the incompatibility there. I have been with my husband for 3 years and never had the ph problem with anyone but him so its just something that happens. For me I'v noticed a little more smell from someone who is sterile.

[whaleslinger]

Joining the odor club....but after reading all the posts, I realized that an important piece of information was left out of alot of them:  birth control.  
After a year of being off the pill and being sexually active (condoms or withdrawal) I am back on Ortho Tri Cyclen lo.  Could there be a connection between the hormonal changes induced by these pills?  (I know for a fact that some Pills increase yeast infections....which is interesting considering the same companies that produce the Pill also produce Monistat and other yeast infection treatments)  If we are considering all possible variables for the source of the stink...consider all the medications you may be taking as well.  It is awful to feel unwanted or unsexy or turned off by the smell produced by something so loverly, so keep posting your ideas, especially those that work and those that don't.  Don't wait for the gynos to get on board with this one, the internet has made it possible for collaboration and information sharing and hopefully we will be able to report good news as a result.  If nothing else, the thread has therapeutic value in forcing us to realize that we are not alone, or sick, or abnormal.  But seriously, the stink has got to go!

[lexie2006]

i have the same problem. every time my bf ejaculates inside of me next day i have very bad smell. but it only happens when he ejaculates in me. i asked my doctor i was told it has to do with the ph balance as well... its *****.....but it goes away and its not a infection. we have tried to have him *** on me instead  but sometimes he just cant help it ;) we also have anal sex witch could be a dif way of having him ***" inside you" . so dont think you have a bv or YI , but if it last for more then 1 or 2 days and you have pain, itching or discharge see a doc . good luck :)

[2Sassy4u80]

What if you are ttc?  

[farmmaa]

OMG...I love this thread !!!!!!!!
Yes...I'm in the same boat.
Went most of my life without it, never had it happen with my ex...until I was in my early 40's...now, it's pretty much every single time I have sex.  It got a lot worse after my hysterectomy four years ago...and, I believe that is because without my uterus or cervix, my vagina isn't flushing itself out like it used to.
It is a lot worse with some partners than with others....which does lead me to believe it is a reaction to certain body chemistry...whether that is Ph levels, or something else.

I do take Acidophylis, which helps some...but the saving grace came from the GYN that did my surgery.
She told me NEVER to douche with vinegar...and good lord...do NOT use peroxide in there !!!
The magic 'cure' is actually BETADINE.  Yep...the same gross dark brown iodine liquid used in hospitals as a pre op scrub.  You can buy Betadine douches...but my GYN told me not to use the commercial ones.  She said to buy the 10% solution...be careful not to buy the surgical or veterinary grade...it is too storng !!!!
I use a plastic applicator that comes with the pre mixed douches...just clean it up after and reuse it.
You only need a few drops of the Betadine in warm water.  I use it right after intercourse...well...as soon after as I can...and then again once a day for the next day or two..and it works really well.
It cleans everything out, takes care of the odor causing whatever they are...and...prevents BV !!
It is anti-bacterial...so only use a small amount in water..and take acidophylis as well .

This is NOT a home remedy or old wives tale...it was prescribed by my OB/GYN !!!!

It is the only thing I've found that gets rid of the smell !!!!

[Siiiggghhh]

I am experiencing the same and so relieved to read these! I have to laugh at my boyfriend because after many negative tests with the gyno, she has suggested his PH balance could be conflicting with mine as I have not experienced this before. My situation specificially though is that during intercourse I can smell the odour even before he ejaculates so I have to wonder if the precum is working its undesirable magic with me before he even finishes. When he does finish, bad odour for a couple of days and its so embarrassing!

[bluebalm]

Haha.  I read interesting comments!  Glad to know I am not alone.  I been to doctor office couple times after sex and complained of foul smell.  I never had this problem before and he my first white boyfriend.  Now, saying the PH level don't mix...it sounds like an interesting theory regarding the foul smell that last up to 48 hours.  Doctors tell me I have a small UTI inflections and I treats myself with antibiotics and pyridiam which controls and relax my pelvis muscles.  there are days after sex where I have to rush to the bathroom and I hates it because the faster I urinated the more smelly it spread all over the bathroom!  and there are days where it just the foul smelling and no rush to unrinate.  this only happens after sex....i always tell him that he did wrong lol but the ph level theory sounds very interesting.  we always use a condom and i still smell... we take a shower all the time before sex.   cleaniness is important....but now it makes me wonder about having a baby in the future.....will the baby be unhealthy....deformed? or healthy?  

[rmjmj]

Ok I was  married for 23 years before he started making me have a horrible odor for several days after intercourse we are now divorced so there have been other men in my life no one else causes this odor my x and I are still sexual ocasionally and the odor would  come right back... the doctors verdict is a low sperm count he is now on testeone cream there is no more odor ... Unless he skips using the cream.  Hope this is helpful for atleast some of  you

[rmjmj]

And maybe I should clarify a low sperm count does not mean he has a low amount of ejaculate and for thoes of u trying to get pregnant to no avail this could very possibly the reason for not concieving as well   Good luck

[Ninatanna]

I just wanted to thank you all for your honesty! I thought for sure that I wasn't going to find anything on here about this. Ha! Well, seems like a trip to the GYN is in order and then maybe just deal with the pH thing if no infection. TTC number three! Wish us luck!

[bby1419]

Sometimes after sex i get this fishy smell is so noticeble even he ask y, but neva before dat happend..... he has cheated n so i did!!!  but we both clean n is not no std wat can't it be, here  dis should help or tell me something, when i was with my ex lover it neva smell like dat but when im with my partner it does. I belive same happend to him. any comments and please dnt judge me things like dis happen in life n we all expirence new things.

[megjo3909]

OMG.....I thank the Lord I have found this page. I too have this very issue after sex with my husband. I always clean myself and urinate after sex but there is just a horrific smell the next day. I use to think something was wrong with me but clearly the man also has something to do with it! Dousching is unhealthy for a woman's cervix and vagina so I suggest not to use that method. Just keep on cleaning urself thoroughlt and pick us a Summers Eve spray deoderant and cleaning  gel.

That should help!

[fee1980]

i have the same problem,been married 6 years. Been with other men before and never a smell like that. And yes others can smell it. I use norforms supp. And rephresh and it helps.

[fee1980]

i have the same problem,been married 6 years. Been with other men before and never a smell like that. And yes others can smell it. I use norforms supp. And rephresh and it helps.

[minime081]

Hi all,

I am sooo relieved to have come to the right forum for explaination on the bizarre 'smell after sex' case. It never ever happen to me before and this time it did,i was wondering how and where did i picked it up. Now my partner is my ex bf so our body chemistry has been fine all this while from the very first time we had sex. We had unprotected sex couple of days back and then my period came(it was meant to come anyway)but did it smelled awful!Never before had my period smelt this bad!Am a bit of googling leads me to this forum.I really do hope the fishy smell will go away (for good!) as it is really unbearable!It's been 5days now and I can still smell it. =(
Does anyone thinks it has got something to do with his unhealthy sperm or something?He is not seeing anyone at the moment and he doesnt really masturbate.Do you guys think it could've been his 'expired' sperms giving off the smell?!Hahaha...

Please advise and share your opinions.

Thanks.

[tanya999]

I am 41 and just experienced this issue for the first time in my life. My boyfriend and I have been seeing each other for a few months and it never happened prior to yesterday. We had been having a lot more sex than usual over the past 4 days and he had ejaculated inside me numerous times. Over this period of time I had been showering and cleaning myself as usual so I became very concerned when I smelled an odd smell coming from my vagina last night. The odor was strong enough that it wafted up to my nose as I was sitting at my desk doing some work. Even the sweats I was wearing started to smell. I decided to shower again but it did no good. Finally I just went to bed, hoping that the odor would disappear by morning. No such luck. Today I found  a Summer's Eve disposable douche in my bathroom and emptied out all the contents. Then I filled it with warm water, screwed the nozzle back on, and flushed out my vagina. I refilled the douche 2 more times with warm water and flushed out my vagina 2 more times. The odor is almost completely gone! There is only a very, very faint trace of it left.

Normally I douche with a reusable rubber douche bag that you can buy at the pharmacy. I couldn't find mine this morning. In the future - if this ever happens again - I will just fill the reusable douche bag with warm water and flush myself out a few times.

Hope this info might be of use to someone!

[misty231]

I won't reveal my age because many young people make unkind remarks when it comes to sex and old people. However, I am certainly willing to share my knowledge and experience with anyone interested.

First, my partner and I will be celetrating our 12th year this month. He is 10 years my junior and delightfully multi-orgasmic, which means a lot of seman during our 45 minutes to an hour of love-making two or three times a week. We are both in great health and, yes, we old folks still have it. As for the fragrance we experience, both of us enjoy rather than fight it. It was made by our love and, actually, it is a rather erotic smell. Both of us shower every day and have no sexual health problems.

My first encounter with a terrific product was when my mother-in-law was in a nursing home, many years ago, that completely eliminated odors (urine, vomit, etc.). Just because my partner and I enjoy our "fragrance of sex" doesn't mean I particularly want to advertise it, if others can smell it on me, so I use this product. Google "peri-wash" and you can't miss it online, It's fairly inexpensive, depending on your budget, but worth every penny. I pour a little on my hand and then lather up. I buy the no-rinse in the gallon bottle so it lasts a long time. It is pH balanced and I've never had any problems. I would say it can be used numerous times a day, if necessary. Obviously, because of what it's really meant for, there is nothing said about douching with it.

Hope this helps someone.

[mtnlk]

I am in my mid 40's, 2nd marriage and we are going on 16 years of our relationship.  Early on, we had no order, probably first 6 months.  However, from time to time, there was that disgusting fish order.  At times, or days, it was pure hell of disgusting dead fish!!  The smell we all hate more than anything.  In my first marriage, we had no order, and with my other relationship no odor.  The oder only seems to exist with my current spouse.  (No FUN).  Yes, it's very embarrasing.  I too, like many of you, worry about work and going to the ladies room.  I believe in douching, using vinegar and water.  I also use a antibacterial soap, Dial.  This lightens the order, doesn't take it away, but cleaning right after intercourse including douching helps tremendously.  And yes, it's rather unpleasant and I can not have an orgasm knowing that any order exists, so showering and washing before romance, and washing and douching right after, helps so much.

I am not sure if this will help, however, I do know it has lightened my odor and more pleasant for myself and knowing my husband may be wanting to experience oral pleasure as well with a pleasant odor.

[RayRay0682]

I learned this by watching the Dr's.....When couples have unprotected sex and the male cums inside of the women, sometimes their body fluid chemistry's  are different and sometimes don't mesh well with each other, causing the PH balance to go out of wack, in return causing that foul smell. And because sperm can live inside of a woman for up to 5 days, hence, the foul smell lingering. Hope this helps everyone...Because I go through the same problem

[roses112233]

People u r missing the point... maybe this happens to all of u or maybe this only happens to some. I'm a diabetic so I get blood tests and check ups every 3 months and I am absolutely clean as a whistle. "AS A TEST ONLY' I masturbated to see if the issue is from a man's sperm or a female's fluids or both. After I orgasm (fluids will be release from a woman when they orgasm - Dr's debate on what it is or to call it but it is not SPERM)... I still had that lingering smell. I did notice if I only had sex or masturbated for a few mins and then stop I don't have the smell but if I continued for long periods of time or even orgasm the smell will be there the next day and linger for 3 days. I never let a man *** inside me so the sperm isnt causing this issue. It also happens while using condoms. SO BASICALLY THE POINT IS IS THAT IF U HAVE SEX FOR A LONG TIME OR IF U ORGASM THEN THATS WHEN THE PROBLEM STARTS THE NEXT DAY FOR 3 DAYS - NO MAN'S SPERM INSIDE U AT ALL! I tried rephresh, douching with vinegar and water, i tried just douching with pure water several times, I tried the peroxide with water mixed, I tried the feminine clean wipes and sprays, I tried showering all several times a day, hell I even tried baby wipes.... nothing works. I do believe that after having sex for a certain amount of time or orgasm it throws off our ph balance. I have looked up certain solutions to this problem and will be testing it soon.

[Aims1082]

I too have this issue and am so happy to find others who have the same...Thank god!!! I thought it was just a problem with me alone..My husband and i also have been trying to get pregnant for the last year and have been together for 10 so no other sexual partners from either of us..This seems to happen with me a few days after sex and seems to lingre for a few days also..I get sooo paranoid thinking if anyone can smell it, i am the most cleanest person around but no amount of soap etc seems to work or hide it lol...does anyone know if this is BV? and if so could it be making it harder for us to concieve (conceive)? also are there any long term side effects?..im getting worried now think I might book to see my GP tommorrow!

[simplyme2478]

I had my first BV about 10yrs ago which was caused by an overgrowth of bad bacteria. I grew up thinking you had to douche (thx to my mother) went to a nurse practitioner WOMAN.... and she then informed me douching with destroy the good bacteria, never again did I douche or have a problem!! Until my husband and I split up after 12yrs and tried to work it out he had already been in a relationship and I couldn't deal with it I felt dirty and told him it wouldnt work. I once again douched and BV showed it's ugly smelling discharge. Went to the doctor got meds it cleared up, had my first sexual relationship 1yr later and got BV.. Today I went for my checkup got more meds and she informed me that sperm is acidic and yes we could have a reaction of our PH off balance.... Another words WE ARE ALLERGIC lol, a change in anything we do from eating, sex, what we drink can certainly change it. RePhresh does work it keeps your PH balance intact, they also sell pills from the same company that you take daily.... GL and my problem is clearing up =)

[titch1910]

Hey Girls,

Just to let you guys know i have been suffering from B.V Bacterial vaginosis for 5 years im 22 and have been with my partner for 4 years,It is caused by a PH inbalance,It can be caused by sex,washing with soaps and creams etc and sometimes tight clothing and smoking! it is NOT  a sexual infection! It is very common and the symptoms are : Foul smelling discharge fishy smelling,If you do have this you will need to go and get tested for an std to actually confirm it is BV so you can get some antibiotics to treat it,You can also buy somthing called Balance active from a chemist,which is a gel which you insert before you go to bed which basically restores all the good bacteria,ive used this on many times and it works for me,Ive tryed pretty much anything like vingegar,yoghurt etc etc and it does not work,
Also dont use soaps,creams,or even doucing it makes it worse n strips the good bacteria away,always just wash with plain water,

[murgh]

Yeast is not necessarily all bad, and eliminating all of it would cause more BV. You need yeast in your vagina to a certain extent, as the key to healthy vaginal flora is a balance of many microorganisms which self-regulate.  In this sense, the vagina is a self-cleaning organ.

My first piece of advice to everyone out there, whether you're suffering from some sort of vaginal inconsistencies or not, is to NEVER use soap or cleaning products on your vagina (unless your doctor specifically prescribes them).  Just plain (not too hot) water, externally.  It sounds counter-intuitive at first, but hear me out.  Using stronger cleaning products on a self-cleaning and regulating system will only throw its natural balance off base.  
Your vagina is an anaerobic environment, which means it has the potential to be a great breeding ground for many foul-smelling bacteria.  Ideally, the flora which exist there naturally keep these bacteria in check and prevent them from establishing large colonies which could make you smell or even make you sick.  Therefore, when you introduce cleaning products, you can disrupt your natural flora.  If, then, "bad" bacteria is re-introduced to the vagina, it can rapidly and easily form colonies, infecting you and causing foul smells.  Soap also has a tendency to dry out mucous membranes, removing their protective layer and making them more prone to irritation, inflammation, and itching, which in turn makes it more easy and likely for bad bacteria to enter and establish.  

I used to get yeast infections, BV, itching, and odour quite frequently, and the more I washed with soap or other "feminine hygiene" products, the worse it seemed to get.  Once the frangrace of the soap wore off (which didn't take long!), I was left with the same old complaint time and time again.  I had heard before that I shouldn't use soap down there but I refused to believe it. After so long with a funky vag, and after reading about water-only washing down there and speaking with my gynecologist, I decided to try it, and I will never go back.  Now my natural odor is not-nonexistent (that would be weird!), but smells pleasant; how a vagina ideally should smell.  

In some cases, peroxide can help but only if it EXTREMELY diluted and used for very short periods of time.  When I had very persistent BV a couple years ago I used a VERY weak peroxide solution to clean, and then bio yogurt to replace the essential vaginal cultures which I had killed when eliminating the bad bacteria.  To this day I haven't had any signs of persistent BV again.

All this having been said, I do experience a strange fishy odour after sex, only when my partner ejaculates inside me, and it goes away within a day.  

I have a theory (because the two smell so similar) that the temporary neutralising effect on the normally acidic PH of your vagina can cause a sort of "acute BV" in the sense that an acidic environment is unfriendly to many "bad bacteria".  When we raise that PH we temporarily create a breeding ground for these smelly creatures.  However, it is different from chronic BV because after sex, a healthy vagina which was host to the right organisms beforehand will find it easier to re-acidify following the complete expulsion of the semen, and the friendly bacteria can re-establish their essential colonies, regulating the baddies once again.  
That part is just my personal theory, though, so don't hold me to it.  

In the case of persistent BV and yeast infections, the balance between "good" and "bad" bacteria is thrown so far off that we require some sort of medical intervention or home remedy.  

Anyway, I hope this information helps some of you out there as much as it did for me.  Sex is so much more worry free now that I don't smell down there, and it has been 2 years since I had any infection, major smell issues, etc.  

Good luck, Ladies!

[forever30]

but i want to know i use a condom everytime i have sex and the next i have a smelly discharge i feel everyone could smell it i don't know if it's the condom, but i tried several types and all give the same reaction, what this could be?  

[proudmom11]

girl, i dont think you have an infection. Im not a doctor but from my experience with my husband, lots can contribute to it
1. medication can cause your vaginal fluids and/or male sperm to have an order.
2. diet can contribute
3. and the most factor is that your vagina has a certan temp that need to stay regulated, when a foriegn object/substance mixes with this it throws it off balance.
i personally just wash and rinse with warm water and peroxside, as told by my OBGYN. It ***** that we have to deal with the smell but im not gonna stop cause i love makeing love to my husband!!!!

[madgurl90]

yeah, me and my bf were fine for a year if him coming inside me cause i always wetwipe it all out and then have a shower, but recently since i had some cyctitis from too much sex, the semen seems to linger more in my vagina and smells like gone off milk or something, so disgusting i cant even bring myself to smell it in the shower when im cleaning it out! its like i cant do anything to remove the semen discharge :(

bad times! i dont think he can smell it and i can only smell it in the mornings after some has leaked out or if i put my finger up there.

:(

[FancyTexan]

I don't know if it is true or not, but I have heard that shaking a bottle or can of coke or pepsi and then using that as a douch is a good way of cleaning out the pipes.  Anyone try that?

[nurse417]

This is definitely a pH problem. I believe that alot of beer and starches in the man's diet contributes to this problem. I have tried a vinegar rinse right after sex and once a day for the next two days which helps but does not prevent it. My gyn says a tampon inserted right after sex or tampon dipped in yogurt as previously mentioned is helpful and the 'pearls" you can buy or yogurt directly up inside the vagina everyday for prevention...Has not solved it for me and when I am away from home dont have these items with me...very frustrating...going to try change in my diet....

[macp789]

I have had the same problem! ONLY after sex it smells! I tried soaking a tampon in plain natural yogurt for ten minutes and then inserting it for half an hour! IT WORKED!!! I guess it brings the PH back to normal. thank god good luck it took a year for me to find that cure.

[help573]

I've been researching this topic for a while now and nothing here seems to be new information to me. I have seen a doctor and tested negative for everything, including BV. My boyfriend and I have been together for 2 years and have been faithful to each other and he has always ejaculated inside of me. There was never a problem with odor until I strated using the Nuva Ring as my form of birth control. I used the ring for about 6 months and had constant problems with yeast infections and discharge. Since being off of Nuva Ring the odor has become unbearable. The smell is most prominent during sex and will fill the room with odor. It's not always a fishy smell, sometimes ist smells almost sulfuric or as my boyfriend describes it, "like farts" -- I feel like I can never get clean enough. This is effecting my entire life and relationship and my boyfriend has been questioning if I am faithful because he can't understand the constant smell. PLEASE HELP :(

[litzheiry]

Yes ma'am it sounds like bacterial vaginosis, this smell is foul and definetly its stronger after sex . Now like this other person mention sperm is alive for 72 hrs so you may smell up to 3 days, you should try to use the withdrawal method to help with the smell but do get check out so you can be treated ; unfortunately theres no cure for men , but they have it too !!!!

[Molly2727]

I too have this problem... I got out of a long relationship and my new guy has a vasectamy, so since there is no chance for me to get pregnet,I do not use birth control, have no stds and no infections he cums inside me and I noticed this terrible odor the next day, that lasts 2 days we have sex 1-2 times daily  so I noticed the smell everyday, he said he never noticed anything different. It really bothered me so I looked into and tried different options. What works the best for me is immediatly after sex, get up and urinate, I work in the medical field so I got the biggest syringe (no needle obviousaly) I could find and filled it with warm plain water and squirted it up inside me hold for 2 seconds and let it out I flush 3 times, then wipe down the vaginal area with towel It helps if you stay upright for 10-15 min because a little water will still come dripping out. Since I have started doing that I do not notice any odor, Every now and again I dont flush it and I notice the smell the next day. So hopefully this helps all of you with the same problem.

[stupidhusband13]

I was thinking that my wife was having an affair until reading this forum, as she would have the "sex odor" for a few after we had sex. I accused her of this and am now feeling like a fool for hurting her (emotionally) so bad. Thank you all for this forum. I think you just saved our 26 year marriage. We have been together since we were in high/jr.high. I was so very devestated until I read this forum. 'thanks again to you all!

[stupidhusband13]

FYI, it's 3:39 am, and I've been up for hours worrying. Thanks again.

[Sofres]

Try a warm bath with Baking Soda.  It's natural and harmless.  

So glad to hear that other women are having this problem.  I experienced it after having sex 2 in a short period of time and after my partner had many beers.  

Future note for him, condom when we have sex when he drinks too much.  Previously when he only had a couple of drinks, it was ok.

Good luck!

[RoseThistle]

After reading all the above posts, it’s obvious this “sex odour” has affected a lot of people, myself included. It also seems to be indiscriminate of age, race, who notices it, whether tests have come back positive or negative, whether it’s noticed during sex or the next day, occasionally with – but mostly without a condom, and even if the man has had a vasectomy or not.

Not wanting to just “suffer it”, I’ve been doing some research. I’ll keep my findings brief, and without links, but I encourage you to look into each area further yourself.

Firstly, pH is a measure of how acidic or alkaline something is. The pH range goes from 1, which is highly acidic to pH14, which is highly alkaline. pH 7 is neutral.

A women's vagina is acidic and the normal pH range should be between 3.8 and 4.5. This acidity helps to keep it healthy.  There are vaginal pH testing kits on the market. I wouldn’t be testing after some time of abstinence though.

The average pH of semen ranges from 7.2 to 7.8. It needs to be slightly alkaline, so the sperm can survive the swim in such an acidic environment and the species can reproduce. Normal ejaculate volume is between 2 and 6 ml.

What happens if the vagina or semen isn’t within these ranges? You can get the smell of a “science experiment” gone wrong, instead of a pleasing, sweet, sex smell. Our bodies first priority is to keep our blood at pH 7.4 (as a variance of 1 point can mean coma or death). We need to help the rest of our body maintain it’s correct levels.

What alters a healthy pH level in a body? The list includes: the pill, anti-biotics, menopause, pregnancy, monthly cycle, and douching. The main culprit is the processed and unhealthy diets we eat in the modern world. We need to eat at least 75% alkaline-forming foods. The average western-world diet consists of about 80% acid-forming foods! Litmus papers or test strips will confirm this. They can be used to test saliva or urine. I bought a pack fairly cheaply over the Internet.

There are many sites listing which foods to eat, and which to avoid depending on whether you are too acidic or too alkaline. Coffee is pH 4.0, Beer is pH 2.5 and Coke is pH 2.0. I write this as beer, has been mentioned in several posts. So has water, and it can also be tested to see if it has a neutral pH balance. If not, try a water ionizer. We are supposed to eat a diet consisting of a great quantity of fresh fruit and vegetables, not over-cooked, frozen, processed packages from the freezer or deep fried oily food from the takeaway, nor fat-laden foods from drive-thrus. Basically, you are –what you eat!

Apple-Cider vinegar is pH “balancing”. It’s good for your entire body if taken orally (nice with honey and fruit juice). Yoghurt is also pH balancing and some (read the label) contain the same friendly flora (good bacteria) which naturally occur in a woman’s vagina.

Probiotics (pro) (eg. from a Pharmacy) are also extremely beneficial for rebalancing. Products such as Gastro Health contain 4 strains – Lactobacillus  acidophilus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium Ion gum, and Saccharomyces boulardii.

Anti-biotics (anti) destroy good bacteria as well as the bad. The good bacteria needs to be replaced in order to stay healthy – everywhere. I have always been dumbfounded that so many doctors never mention this. Maybe they don’t get a cut from the health food companies as I reckon they do from the pharmaceutical companies? I do recommend getting tested for any or STD’s or yeast infections (yi). I personally wonder if more people’s test results would come back in the positive for bacterial vaginosis (bv) if they were taken with in 12 hours of having sex?

A pH greater than 4.5 is considered alkaline and is suggestive of bacterial vaginosis. Basically a vagina with the incorrect acidity level allows bacteria to grow. If a man’s semen (including pre-ejaculation, sperm, or no sperm – it’s all fluids deposited from a body) is not at the correct alkalinity level, his semen can almost instantly change the pH levels within the vagina. It could be either of you, or both of you.

Women who have learnt to ejaculate by masturbation (yeah, I was skeptical about this at first) and have the odour, should test their own pH levels. I wonder what the pH balance of a condom is?

Many soaps have a pH value of 9-10 and can upset the healthy acidic environment of the vagina. This is why a lot of douches are only a temporary “band-aid” solution. They destroy the bad, but don’t replace the good. We need to treat ourselves holistically, rather than directing effort in the one place.

Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) also has a lot of benefits. The problem (apart from again, not replacing the good bacteria) is the limited direction of its use. H2O2 is sold in 3% and 6% solutions, the later being strong enough to bleach hair. The major problem with these shelf products is they contain a vast amount of other chemicals including stabilizers and preservatives. It’s possible to purchase 35% food grade H2O2, but it’s unstable and must be kept in the freezer. I had to travel interstate in order to purchase it directly. It would need to be diluted at the correct ratio as it is highly acidic. One of the reasons I bought it was to “eat” pus from open wounds as they use in hospitals. You can see it frothing as it works, rather like adding bi-carbonate of soda to apple sauce. By the way, 90% H2O2 is literally what they use to fuel rockets!

Seems this “science experiment” can be intermittent for some people, suggesting a fluctuating pH level, or it occurs with a particular partner, suggesting a consistent pH imbalance. Is it me? Is it him/her? Who cares, we should talk with our partner about it, both decide to get healthier by consuming the right pH quantities in our diets, and start enjoying our sex lives again without blame or embarrassment.

[purplesand]

yeast infections do not cause BV Bacteria causes this to happen.
its the ph balance that is off when this occurs. do not douche it wont make the problem go away, and might make it worse. you must go see a gyno for the medication. i've heard that BV can come back even after you've took medicine. just make sure you go see a doctor.  

[crazymomblah]

I also have this problem the day after having sex. I hate it so bad I asked my husband to start pulling out and he got offended. He took it as I thought he was grose.  I have not talked about it since and just deal with it. I can't believe how little this is talked about.  I tryed talking to a friend and she made it seem like she didn't know what I was talking about.  I know this happens to everyone but no one talks about it.

[Alicebvt]

Actually, there are many of us dealing with this very same issue, so don't get mad at yer friend! She's just lucky, or something. Diet really does affect the odour of body secretions, and even some OTC, vitamins, or some 'script meds can, as well. I can almost tell the "smell-factor" of hubs and myself, even before we make love, by the colour of our urine in the bowl! I know that sounds nutty, but when we "run clear", we don't smell so much. We actually had better luck with this thing when I stopped using vag douches and simply Kegel-ed warm water in a tub bath. You can look this up, but all it is is a vaginal cycle of compression / dilation that is like holding in and pushing back out.

This has the effect of a low pressure rinse of my vaginal canal and cervix without any chemicals, additives, or other stuff. I also try to consume yoghurt with active culture (I know, some say that doesn't help, but to heck with that!!.. I am a believer.)  It works for me.

[ashley413]

OMG i have the same problem i had bv and a uti and got both of those treated. and now  about 2 weeks later you can smell this fishy odor again while im having sex! its not even after sex, u can smell it during. i take a shower twice a day and trust me i clean myself very well down there and i dont have any odor at anyothe time durinq my day but once my fiance starts havinq sex with me i smell this fishy yuckyy odor he says it must be my *** smellinq. idk wat to do its makinq my sex life suck and i neve had this problem before it just started a month aqo. and wats worse is i work as a stripper for a livinq so i have to qo to work and basically show guys my vagina and stick it in there face and im always worried i smell and i need my job as much as i hate it, it pays my rent. also im trying to have a baby but i seem to be not getting any luck and im sick of this antibiotic shytt becuzz it prevents me from being more able to get pregnant. wat do i do.

most of u smell it after sex i smell it during .. idk it could be becuzz i have sex like 2-3 times a day but im not sure and im so confused. HELP!!!

[Alicebvt]

Ashley,

Here's another consideration, or three! :-) There may be something there medically, dear, but please try another perspective before you panic. How to say this? Um, OK, here goes:

1) Females have better "sniffers" than men. Proven scientific fact. Remember that stinky guy who came to fix the washer, and how you were all like "OMG, how could somebody reek like that & not go immediately to the shower?!" Well, he prob'ly never noticed a thing other than how your washroom smelled like dryer sheets, & how happy he was to be in the A/C! He was just making a living; not worrying about the hot day so much, but you noticed HIM like a ton of rotten cabbage in your pristine house!

2) Those hyper-sensitive sniffers we women have are much more targeted to our own body smells than others can detect. This could include underarm, undergarments, urine, you name it. e.g. WE stink worse to ourselves than to others, whereas men don't really seem to care so much. My wonderful hubby's pretty much this way, so I can at least tell you that.

3) Men ACTUALLY enjoy, and many are highly aroused by, the vaginal / vulvar smell DURING sex that they can detect, as well as the pheromones (sp?) that they can't. Some of the odours we women are so mortified by actually enhance spectrum of lovemaking that create such a sweet, intimate, special, experience for us and our partner. The way I look at it is if I always smelled like a rose, my husband may as well pleasure himself in a floral shop with his eyes closed!! I want him to touch, feel, enjoy, and SMELL ME! Believe me, I have spent better than a half-century of life trying to understand and come to grips with this verysame issue!! I am much happier and more confident; the only thing that has changed is my knowledge and attitude, not my God-given body. Anyway, Good Luck, and count your blessings!

[80sbaby87]

I have the EXACT same problem! My boyfriend and I used to have sex 5-8 times a week, and we do not use condoms and I am on birth control and he pulls out anyway. I personally do not smell anything, but he has stopped having sex with me alltogether unless it's in the shower (which I DO like tho) because he says that I smell down there during sex. I've tried showering before hand, changing my diet, and cleansing wipes. Nothing works!! I did read a little about bacterial vaginosis, and I think I might make a gyno appointment just to be sure. I do have multiple orgasms all the time as well as spray occaisonally, so he seems to think that it's just me. I'm at my wits end, because I have a really high libido, and this is killing me. So...I feel your pain. If you hear anything, get back to me!

[pyt923]

I've been dealing with BV off and on since 2007 ....Sometimes it goes away on its on others times I had to go to the doctor to get the gel or Flagyl....I lost my job and insurance in 2009 and didn't have money to keep going back and forth to the doctor only for it to come back.  So I just dealt with the odor and discharge, because my husband couldn't smell it (Thank God)!!! But then as time passed I became more frustrated, because like others mentioned above the smell comes thru my clothes and I feared others could smell it. Sex became more so a chore and not enjoyment because I knew I would smell afterwards. My husband thought I was either cheating, or just making an excuse about an odor to get out of having sex. I explained the stuff I've learned about PH imbalance and let him read articles as well so he could see that I wasn't just going crazy. After hours, days, weeks, months and years of researching any and every article that I could I ran across a product called VH Essentials homeopathic BV - Bacterial Vaginosis treatment, and it seems to have worked so far. You can find it at CVS or WalGreens it's about $25 and its a 6 day supply of vaginal inserts....here's the link

http://www.vhessentials.com/products-bv-inserts.php

Good Luck and I hope this works for you

[JodyMarie3]

I've never had this problem before.  My boyfriend of 8 months is the only man whose semen seems to cause odor for me for 2 days after intercourse.  Somehow, he seemed to know the cause and cut it completely out of his diet.  Ladies, GET YOUR MAN OFF THE MOUNTAIN DEW and see if your odor issue doesn't dissappear!  It was our cure.  OMG, what are they putting in that stuff??  

[Wisdom71274]

Hello ladies,
Disease cannot exist in an alkaline body.  The bodies PH should be 7.4. Both you and your men should try to get the bodies ph alkaline. This can be done by eating fresh fruits and vegetables a good mix is apples, cucumbers, broccoli, celery and carrots.  Also drink a half a glass of water with 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda and 2 tablespoons of apple cider vineagar each morning on an empty stomach and again before bed.  Also eat lots of yogurt.  Rephresh gel helps the vaginal ph but you should never douche. Ph paper can be purchased to test you and your mans Ph.  I hope this is helpful. I know that it will be if you do this regularly.

[Adrienne11]

Sooo,I Am 18, In A Sexually Active Relationship. We Had Been Having Protected Sex For Months,I Never Had A Foul Smell after. Then We Were Both Tested n Decided To Not Use Protection. Anytime We Had Sex He'd Pull Out Before He Cam And Again No Smell!...Theeeen A Few Days Ago iCant Recall Him Pulling Out And The Next Day Aka Morning After I Had An Akwardly Foul Smell iNever Smelled Before And It Was Extremely Uncomfortable As Well As Unusual For/To Me!... Idk iF iM Prego Or Not. Just Yesterday I Took A Pregnancy Test From Wal.Mart Called Equate Early Result? With 2Sides One A Cirle And The Other 2 The Right An Oval Shape But Kind Of Straight!?...My 1st Test Didn't Show Any Results After 5 Mins So I Assumed iT Wasn't Working!...Then I Drank About 4 Big Cups Of Water And Later That Night Did My 2nd One And The Line Popped Up Immediately!... On The Right Side! Then 2Day I Lookd At My 1st One And Saw A Sheer Line iN Both Sides!...And So iGuess My Question Is Would Tne 2nd One Not B Accurate Because Of All The Water I Drank!?...Ooorrr Should I Assume I Am Because Of The Later Results On The 1st Test I Assumed Was Not Accurate? I Just Ran Out Of Health iNsurance And Im Starting My New Job Today! I Reall Would Like Any Type Of Knowledge On This Because iT's iMportant I Find Out As Soon As Possible So I Can Begin Planning On What I Should Do!...If I Am The Father iS Completely Supportive And Will Tend To His Duties As A Father! But I Still Am Not Sure And Would Like Educated Womanly Advice/Knowledge Because My Family Will NOT Support Me Havina Child At 19! Please Provide A Response Asap!

Thank You!

[Sofres]

Best thing to do is get a blood test done!  That'll be the most accurate.  The hormone that shows pregnancy is usually detected by the time your period is supposed to start, but it's weaker in the urine.  If you can't afford a blood test, maybe go to your local ER and have them do it.  

[veryconcerned610]

PLEASE READ THIS!!!  
Unbalanced vaginal Ph levels can be triggered by menstruation, semen, douching, different types of soaps, etc....  DO NOT SHOVE ANYTHING UP YOUR VAGINA.  DOUCHING IS NOT GOOD I DONT CARE IF ITS JUST WATER.  Douching causes irritation that can make it easier to get STD"S, bacterial or yeast infections, and HIV infection.
Vagina is a self-cleaning organ and doesnt really smell bad unless something is wrong. Since many women associate douching with cleanliness and good hygiene, it may come as a surprise to learn that douching can actually be dangerous. But the truth is, we're not dirty, and our vaginas can take care of themselves. The best thing to do for our health is to leave our vaginas alone and let our natural system work.  
A for RePresh, it just another means of shoving something up your vagina.  Whether it makes it smell nice or not its an artificial smell not really you.  RePresh was approved by the FDA simply as a vaginal lubricant a 501(K) provision that means it was found substantially equivalent to something already on the market.  Something like douching perhaps?
Please take better care of yourself and stop listening to quick fixes that can endanger your life.

[aaaaabrooks]

Your handle is veryconcerned610 but mostly I feel very concerned about YOU.

I think it's hilarious that you're telling women not to shove ANYTHING up their vaginas. Would that not include a man's penis? Or lubrication? Vibrators? Diaphrams? Fingers or tongues? Tampons? (Last time I checked none of these things endangered a woman's life unless they involved incurable or unchecked STD's. Except for tampons, which we all know has the potential to give a woman TSS.)

These women aren't looking for a 'quick fix' they're looking for a permanent solution. Obviously the 'waiting game' is destroying a lot of these women's lives. I agree douching is not the solution but c'mon. Your post turned into a tirade about trading/market shares. Don't cause unnecessary panic to these women because of some political agenda kick you're on.

As for RepHresh, it really does work for a lot of women. It's not a 'douche' and is actually RECOMMENDED by many doctors (unlike douches). It has no fragrance whatsoever and is much more affordable than most health care plans. (Who has the money to go to a doctor every time they have sex, for crying out loud?)

To everyone else out there seeking answers on this topic: If you have already been tested for STDs and other vaginal infections with negative results: It is DEFINITELY a pH imbalance caused by semen interacting with your natural flora. Wash up as well as you can (without soap as that can actually make the smell worse) and if you can afford it, try RepHresh. It's about $14 for a 12-day supply at Walmart.

If you can't afford it (as that IS a little steep if you use it as directed every 3 days), it's definitely a waiting game in the flora/fauna department. Just remind your guy that if he wants access he should pull out or wrap it up. Your man WON'T break up with you because he has to pull out every time you two get it on. He MAY lose interest, however, if you smell terrible whenever you two want to get off.