Reports
i can smell myself through my pants
EN·

United States

Content grade
A-
Suggested: A-
Word count
2,509
Typical: 1,400-1,800
Readability
10-12th grade
Typical: 10-12th grade

Unusual vaginal odor: Why am I smelling myself through my pants?

Unusual vaginal odors | How to get rid of them? | Remedies and treatments

Are you smelling unusual or unpleasant odors coming out of your vagina and don’t know what’s causing it? While all vaginas smell a certain way, some maybe a cause of concern. Read on to know more.

Table of contents

Is it normal for my vagina to smell?

Why does my vagina smell different?

What’s causing my vagina smell like dead fish?

Is bacterial vaginosis (BV) a sexually transmitted infection? How does it happen?

Is there any way to restore my vaginal pH balance?

What if my doctor ruled out BV but my vaginal still smells like dead fish?

Should I be concerned if I have BV or trichomoniasis?

Can vaginal cleansers, vaginal washes or douching help in reducing the bad odor?

How do I stop smelling myself through my pants?

Are there any over-the-counter (OTC) medications to help combat unpleasant vaginal odors?

When should I see a doctor?

Key takeaways

References

———————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Being able to smell strong odors through your pants can be embarrassing, especially when you’re out with your people. The fear that they can smell it too or you might come off as ‘dirty’ to them can get real. However, it’s completely natural for ALL vaginas to smell a certain way.

Why, you ask?

For starters, it’s home to millions and trillions of tiny microbes responsible for keeping them healthy and happy(v). These microbes along with the sweat glands present in the groin region can produce distinct odors for different people.

So, if you’re smelling like you’ve always been, you shouldn’t be concerned about it. However, unusually strong or unpleasant odor accompanied with vaginal itching, dryness or unusual vaginal discharge can be a cause of concern.

Is it normal for my vagina to smell?

In most cases, yes!

For example, if you’re thinking mild vaginal odor that comes off after a long day of work at office or traveling, it's completely normal. Common causes for mild vaginal odors include:

But what if the smell is not-so-mild and I can smell myself through my pants? Is it still normal?

Why does my vagina smell different?

Your vagina can smell like a number of different things and still be healthy and happy. Usually, there are reasons behind your vagina smelling a certain way that can be corrected. Some of the scents coming off your vagina can be:

1. Soury or tangy or fermented

Soury or tangy smell coming off your pants might mean a relatively high acidic environment in your vagina.

Basically, the normal flora of your vagina contains bacteria from Lactobacilli species who produce acid and hydrogen peroxide. They are beneficial for your vaginal health in several ways. For example, they keep the growth of bad bacteria in check, prevents them from adhering to the walls of your vagina or multiplying, and maintaining your vaginal pH in an optimal range (4.0-4.5)1.

Vaginal pH levels that are more acidic than normal can result in soury or tangy smell.

2.     Musky or skunky

Skunky or earthy smell coming off your vagina is usually a stronger version of your body odor. It is caused by overperforming sweat glands (apocrine glands) in your groin region. The sweat or fluid produced by these glands mixes with the bacteria present in and around your vagina that you can smell through your pants.

3.     Penny-like

Presence of metallic smell, like that of pennies, can be due to trapped blood in your vaginal canal. The blood contains iron which is a metal and hence the metallic smell.

For example, when you’re menstruating or that light spotting you get after having a sexual intercourse can leave a slightly metallic smell in your vagina.

Another reason for metallic vaginal smell can be unprotected sex. Unprotected sex exposes your vagina to semen which is alkaline in nature (pH level 7.1-8.0) and can cause vaginal pH imbalances.

4.     Bleachy or ammonia-like scent

Bleachy or chemical-like scent coming off your pants might indicate the presence of urine in your vagina or severe dehydration. Here’s how it can be prevented:

·       Rinse your genital area thoroughly after urinating

·       Try not to hold back the urge to urinate

·       Drink plenty of water

·       Seek medical help if you’re experiencing urine leakage (urinary incontinence)

5. Sweet or yeasty

Molasses-y or sweet-smelling vagina might mean an imbalance in normal vaginal pH. A healthy vagina needs an optimal balance of slightly acidic pH and anything that can mess this balance up is a cause of concern.

Vaginal yeast infections can also cause a slightly yeasty smell but they’re mostly odorless. But if it’s accompanied with vaginal itching or thick white discharge, it’s best to seek help from a medical professional as soon as you can.

6. Rotten

Strong or putrid odor that smells like something rotten is often caused by a forgotten tampon. It might sound weird to you but, it is more common than you think, and no one should be embarrassed about it.

Ideally, you should change your tampon every 4 to 8 hours as per the recommendations of Food and Drug Administration. Moreover, it is highly discouraged to leave the same tampon for more than 8 hours in your vagina.

Bottomline is most vaginas have a distinct smell and smell alone is not a cause for concern. But if it becomes too strong that you can smell it through your pants or lingers around then you might need to look into your lifestyle choices and book an appointment with your ob/gynecologist soon.

What’s causing my vagina smell like dead fish?

Well, a strong, putrid or fishy odor coming off your pants means your vaginal health is at stake. Chances are you have gotten one of the most common vaginal infections called bacterial vaginosis or BV.

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), BV affects about 21 million people every year and that’s just in the U.S. About 80% of the people suffering from this infection don’t even know they have it because it doesn’t show any symptoms. On the other hand, for those who do experience the symptoms have reported that they can be frustrating and uncomfortable to deal with.  

Some of the common symptoms of BV include:

·       Strong unusual smell like that of dead fish

·       Increased foul-smelling discharge

·       Thin white or grey discharge

·       Burning sensation while urinating

·       Itching around your vulva region

Is bacterial vaginosis a sexually transmitted infection (STI)? How does it happen?

No, BV is not an STI as per the guidelines of CDC. While some people tend to experience exacerbated BV symptoms after having a sexual intercourse, it is still not an STI.

Basically, the health of your vagina depends on the balance of your normal vaginal fl and optimal pH level. Your normal flora consists of beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus Acidophilus and Bifidobacteria. These bacteria play a significant role in maintaining your vaginal pH balance and warding off opportunistic bacteria called anaerobes.

Now BV can occur for two reasons:

1.     When any external or internal factors messes up your vaginal pH directly and allows bad bacteria to overpower the good ones. OR

2.     When any bad bacteria such as Gardnerella Vaginalis, Prevotella, Peptostreptococcus, or Mycoplasma, etc., enters your vagina and throw your vaginal pH off.

Some of the factors that can cause BV include:

Is there any way to restore my vaginal pH level?

Fortunately, yes!

A number of things can help re-establish your vaginal pH balance including lifestyle changes, good hygiene practices and taking doctor-formulated supplements that contain different beneficial probiotics.

Don’t know where to get the right one from? We might have just the solution for your problems!

At Happy V, our doctor-formulated Prebiotic + Probiotic formula helps restore your vaginal flora while balancing your vaginal pH. This formula is uniquely designed to not only eliminate the bad bacteria but also to repopulate the good ones.

Then as soon as they get to action, they start to produce lactic acid and hydrogen peroxide.  Ultimately helping in restoring vaginal pH balance and warding off common vaginal infections such as BV and vaginal yeast infection.

What if my doctor ruled out BV but my vaginal still smells like dead fish?

Another reason for your vagina to smell like dead fish is Trichomoniasis – a common but curable STI. In fact the fishy smell in trichomoniasis is more pungent and putrid than BV and it’s hard to differentiate between the two by just looking at the symptoms.

This type of vaginal infection is caused by a parasite called trichomonas vaginalis and can be spread through genital or sexual contact (including oral, vaginal or anal sex).

Good news is, both BV and trichomoniasis are curable and preventable with right measures.

Should I be concerned if I have BV or trichomoniasis?

Though both infections can be treated, leaving them as is can lead to serious health complications such as:

Can vaginal cleansers, vaginal washes or douching help in reducing the bad odor?

No, they can cause more harm than benefit.

Most vaginal cleansers, intimate washes, wipe sor intimate douches that claim to ‘clean’ your vagina or make it smell like ‘flowers’ tend to make everything worse. Why, you ask?

Firstly, they’re loaded with chemicals that can disrupt your vaginal pH level, irritate your vagina mucosa (inner skin) and cause dryness. Secondly, they contain fragrances that can cause further cause irritation, burning or itching in or around your vagina.

Recently, researchers have established that douching and other intimate washes can disturb you normal flora exposing you to a number of vaginal infections.

1.     Research conducted in 2016 studied the associated between douching and HPV infections on1271 participants between the ages of 20 and 49. Their findings suggested that douching in the past 6 months was significantly associated with an increased risk of all types of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infections. 3

2.     Another study on 295 adolescent women showed that a past STI infection (6 months) was associated with the use of yeast cream. Similarly, STIs within 3 months were associated with the use of feminine sprays and feminine wipes. 4

How do I stop smelling myself through my pants?

There are a number of things that you can do to prevent vaginal odors. Here are some of them:

Are there any over-the-counter (OTC) supplements to help combat unpleasant vaginal odors?

Yes, supplements that contain prebiotics and probiotics can help eliminate or minimise bad vaginal odors. These supplements work by dealing with the root cause of the problem i.e., imbalanced vaginal flora and pH.

Probiotics are beneficial bacterial strains that help in maintaining healthy vaginal flora and balanced vaginal pH. On the other hand, prebiotics are dietary fibres that act as food for these good bacteria. So, the combination of Prebiotic + Probiotic supplement can introduce new beneficial bacterial strain in your vagina as well as keep them flourishing.

To find the best probiotic supplement you need to look at 3 things:

1.     Number of bacterial strains in it – The more the better.

2.     Total colony forming units (CFU) of the strains used – It indicates the number of live bacteria capable of multiplying and ‘forming a colony’. Ideally, your supplement should have at least 1 million CFU per dose for each strain.

3.     Effectiveness of the brands/strains used – The strains used in the supplement should be tested for their effectiveness.

The doctor-formulated Prebiotic + Probiotic formula by HappyV contains 8 clinically proven ingredients that are tested for their effectiveness and can aid in:

When should I see a doctor?

Usually, mild odors don’t indicate anything serious. Such odors can be minimized by practicing good hygiene, opting for healthy lifestyle choices and by adding probiotic supplements to your diet.

On the other hand, strong or pungent odors accompanied by vaginal itching and discharge might indicate presence of vaginal infections such as BV or vaginal yeast infection. That’s when you need to see a healthcare provider and seek medical help.

Key takeaways

  1. Its normal for all vaginas to smell a certain way.

  2. When bacteria from your natural vaginal flora mix with sweat produced by your sweat glands (apocrine glands) in your groin region, they cause a smell distinct to everyone.

  3. Usually, mild odors like soury or tangy, metallic, bleachy, or molasses-y alone, do not mean anything serious.

  4. Persisting and more pronounced smells like fishy smell when accompanied with other symptoms such as unusal discharge, itching or burning might indicate presence of a vaginal infection.

  5. The root cause of vaginal odors is an imbalance in vaginal flora and normal vaginal pH that can be corrected with OTC probiotic supplements.

  6. Probiotic supplements help in restoring the number of beneficial bacteria in your gut and vagina as well as restoring optimal vaginal pH levels.

References

1.              Lin, Y. P., Chen, W. C., Cheng, C. M., & Shen, C. J. (2021). Vaginal pH Value for Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment of Common Vaginitis. Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)11(11), 1996. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics11111996

2.              Kairys, N., & Garg, M. (2017). Bacterial vaginosis.

3.              Bui, T. C., Thai, T. N., Tran, L. T. H., Shete, S. S., Ramondetta, L. M., & Basen-Engquist, K. M. (2016). Association between vaginal douching and genital human papillomavirus infection among women in the United States. The Journal of infectious diseases214(9), 1370-1375.

4.              Ott, M. A., Ofner, S., & Fortenberry, J. D. (2009). Beyond douching: use of feminine hygiene products and STI risk among young women. The journal of sexual medicine6(5), 1335-1340.