Foul odor around clitoris

[Dreams4444]

I am 19 years old and for a few years now i have had a foul, fishy odor around the area of where the clitoris is. I haven't had any problems with odor in the vagina though. I don't experience redness or itching either. I always wear clean clothes. I bathe everyday and use a gentle feminine cleanser but even right after a shower or bath the smell is there and it gets worse as the day goes on. I have been prescribed a cream to be used in the vagina to get rid of bacteria, but it doesn't help with the odor...I'm assuming because the odor is not coming from the inside of the vagina. I am not sexually active at this time but i am worried about when i am, because the odor is embarrassing. Any ideas or thoughts?

[Alicebvt]

Hi All,

MaraMay brings up such a good point -- that females are sooo hypersensitive to our own body smells, whilst our partners may not notice a thing. Keep in mind, that the only time a love partner has the opportunity to get close enough to us to detect anything they are already aroused and into lovemaking, so it is doubtful a strong odour would get in the way of that unstoppable force!! (assuming, of course that it IS indeed a healthy strong odour and not something truly pathogenic or illness-related!). I am an advocate of natural, dietary, and non-pharma answers to most problems. When you need drugs, please have your doctor guide you and take them, but realise that often times it is simply anxiety based on perception due to lack of reference. Case in point. I have rarely known a lesbian woman who complains about changes in vulval, clitoral, or vaginal odour unless related to BV, trich, thrush, etc.

Thx,
Ali

[MaraMay]

LADIES I'VE FOUND THE SOLUTION!!! I knew about how the vagina (inside) can have an imbalance of good bacteria vs bad and all of you, like me don't have the problem inside just the clitoris area.  So after reading all of your stories I knew I sooooo wasn't alone.  Like some of you, my husband didn't know what I was talking about, he couldn't smell it, and neither could my doctor and the cultures came back fine, but I knew I wasn't crazy! We all bathe often and well lol, and the problem just won't leave and for me sometimes it'd get even worse the more I scrubbed and concentrated on the area.  Well!! I looked up how I could introduce good bacteria to the vagina and figured I'd try it in the clitoral area.  I found results that said soak a tampon in yogurt or milk and insert it into the vagina for 15 minutes.  So what I did (skeptically I might add) was soak a wash cloth in milk to get it fully saturated then I placed it inside my labia so it'd be up against my clitoris and kept it there for 15 minutes.  IT WORKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Here we are two weeks later now and I'm still stoked because I'm back to my old selft after like 5 years.  I'm sure you guys have taken antibiotics too and we know it kills all bacteria, bad and good and while they will eventually come back, the bad grows faster so while we may have enough good to keep our vagina fine, the vulva area on the other hand, specifically the clitoris, suffers because there isn't enough good.  And everytime we'd wash vigorously, we'd kill the good AGAIN and so each time, the bad grows fast and the good just can't keep up, and it's the bad that causes odor. GOOD LUCK EVERYONE you don't know how happy I am and how HAPPY I AM TO SHARE SUCH GREAT NEWS!!!!!

[J4NYC]

I tried it with yogurt (plain, non-fat) and it worked like a charm! Thank you MaraMay!! Yogurt is easier than milk since you can smear a little on and it stays put.

[jamiedoll]

It's normal fatty acid secretions from the apocrine glands that are digested by microorganisms on the skin.  Otherwise known as bacteria, which then emit a volatile or pungent sweaty smell.  Some people smell more than others.  It is not unusual. More people than you think are affected by this. Try to avoid coffee, tobacco and alcohol as all these are stimulants and make you smell more.  Also foods high in spice and red meat can make you slightly smellier.  Stress-not good either.  AS ABOVE - My suggestions - use a very high quality moisturising body wash.  Before you get in the shower without water just handful of bodywash give yourself a really good scrub around the genitals for a few minutes.  Then wash off and repeat.  Try not to dilute with water too much until you have repeated this three times.  Then shower as normal.  Do this twice a day.  Drink plenty of water. A powder with baking soda, or a powder helps.  I hope this helps.  I understand how embarrassing it can be, but you can manage it!!  Just for the record I still drink coffee and have a glass of wine in the evening and my hubby of ten years never complains.  

[roseia]

I too have this problem, and it's been bothering me for a few years, as well. I know for a FACT that it comes from the clitoris (I did the towel test that jamiedoll suggested, and sure enough...). I'm nervous about going to my doctor because this is SUCH an embarrassing problem, and I'm worried that he'll have to take a whiff himself (I don't want to have ANYONE smell this...). So has anyone with this problem gone to see their doc/gyno about this yet? If so, what was the problem? If I know what this problem is and how the doc will go about curing it, I'll be much less hesitant to go see my doctor because I know what's going on. Many thanks in advance!!

[shooting_star]

I have this problem too. I'm glad I found this forum because I was getting worried about it. I started to think I had an infection, but I knew that the smell was coming from my clitoris.

[js90]

I have this exact problem as well but I have yet to visit the doctor.  Have you been to the doctor and they have not given you anything to help with the odor?  I figured it was an infection and I was going to go to the doctor but I don't want to bother if they can't do anything for me.