The Sunday News
Dear Aunty
THANK you so much for the lessons, I am glad you have finally touched a very important issue about personal hygiene. My wife needs those lessons I happily gave her a copy of the Sunday Leisure with your column open so that she could read and learn something. My wife has disturbing smelly discharges and I have since stopped being intimate with her often, and now she thinks I am cheating on her. Aunty I am not getting it from anywhere but her womanhood smell is a turn-off. Please help and teach on this issue. I know I am not the only affected so many men out there will agree with me though they may be afraid to speak out.
Reality check vaginas have a smell. I mean, come on, basically all bodily fluids smell like something, so it would be a bit weird if vaginal fluid was the only exception, right? No matter how busy life can become, some things should always come first and your vaginal health is on that priority list.
You and I know that a smelly vagina is something that cannot be regarded as normal. It can affect your health and also the relationships between you and your partner. A clean and healthy vagina will not produce foul and fishy smell.
Vaginal odour may limit sexual activity in a relationship, the woman feels uncomfortable, and the man becomes a little distant and this could be the beginning of problems in a marriage. However, the vagina has a distinct smell and that is not a problem, each woman has a particular vaginal smell and it is natural.
Even when you notice a recent difference in its smell, it is not necessarily an infection. A normal, healthy vagina secretes odourless discharge or discharge with a slight odour. Smelly discharge is a sign that something is wrong most commonly, odours from vaginal discharge are caused by medical conditions though rarely, and vaginal smells can be a sign of a more serious condition.
It is possible that the cause for your feminine odour may be nothing more than poor hygiene and it is normal that it has a certain odour sometimes. Whether this natural smell is neutral or not, it is a matter of personal judgment.
In fact, some women notice their odour when there is no notable odour detected by their partners as the vagina is kind of like a rich ecosystem. It is important to make sure you are washing thoroughly everyday as women have oil and sweat glands in the vaginal area that, while completely natural, can cause odour if not attended to.
Use mild, fragrance-free soaps, because anything else can upset that sensitive area and lead to even more troubles. Make sure you wipe from front to back after using the toilet and wear clean underwear everyday, even if you do not have time to shower.
Everything has to exist in perfect balance, and that balance can be really easily upset. If you use soap, antibacterial, take baths that are too hot, go in pools frequently, use scented pads, use lotion too close to your vagina, do not change your underwear often enough or use underwear of the wrong material, or a large number of other things, you can cause your little ecosystem to get totally out of blow.
Basically, avoid using those things and just be very careful about washing everyday with water (no soap!). Ladies please understand that there is great power in bathing and taking good care of your vagina. We have got a lot of complicated parts down there, and caring for them is not always easy. Make sure you are covering all your bases to keep your lady parts fresh and clean always wear underwear with a cotton crotch, they keep moisture away from your body and keep you dry, which will help stop odour.
However, there are a lot of reasons for vaginal smell and if the odour changes and becomes strongly unpleasant (fishy vaginal odour) this change deserves attention because it is perhaps a sign of a serious vaginal infection. Left untreated, this condition may cause not only physiologic problems but also emotional stress and social problems the person feels uncomfortable thinking the odour is detected by others and worse still when the husband withdraws and deprives the wife of sexual activities.
In most cases, vaginal discharge is a normal part of a woman’s reproductive system, fluid from glands inside the vagina and cervix carries away dead cells and bacteria. This keeps the vagina clean and helps prevent infection.
The smell and amount of discharge can vary from woman to woman, and the normal colour can range from clear to a milky whitish at different times during the menstrual cycle. There may be more discharge if you are ovulating, breastfeeding, or sexually aroused.
The smell may be different if you are pregnant. If the colour, smell, or consistency seems different to normal, or if there is also itching or burning, seek medical advice as this could indicate an infection or other problems.
As partners please also try bathing before sex as it can reduce natural body odours. Use it as a build up to a steamy sex session as most people do find washing each other or showering together providing more opportunities to share pleasure.
Let’s keep talking email [email protected] as next week we are talking about bad breath.
