Why do men like the smell of female secretions?

Causes of unpleasant vaginal odor

The first thing that comes to mind if there is an unpleasant odor from the vagina is an inflammatory process. Sometimes this diagnosis is confirmed at a doctor’s appointment. Other variants of this unpleasant symptom are metabolic or hormonal imbalances, which can also be accompanied by a change in odor from the woman’s genital tract.

The list of diseases that are characterized by an unpleasant odor symptom is as follows:

Dysbacteriosis. This disease refers to conditions in which the normal balance of “good” and “bad” microorganisms that populate the vaginal mucosa is disrupted. When immunity decreases, vaginal dryness or other problems occur, pathogenic microflora begins to develop rapidly, which causes an inflammatory process.
Thrush. Thrush or candidiasis is a fungal infection. When taking a smear in the mucous membrane, laboratory tests reveal an increased amount of Candida type fungi, which are classified as opportunistic. That is, in order for thrush to begin, favorable conditions must be created. Most often, such conditions are created when immunity is reduced, for example, seasonally, due to hormonal changes or taking antibiotics.
Gardnerellosis. It is bacterial vaginosis or vaginitis, caused by the bacterium Gardnerella vaginalis. This disease is easily diagnosed by its specific “fishy” smell. It should be noted that the vast majority of cases of gardnerella disease are sexually transmitted. However, this bacterium can be transmitted through household hygiene products. It is also worth noting that the unpleasant odor from the vagina after sex with this disease increases sharply.
Colpitis. This disease is an inflammation of the vaginal walls, in which the coccal flora most often acts as the causative agent.
Chronic sluggish processes in the female reproductive organs.

If an unpleasant odor from the vagina appears during pregnancy or after childbirth, then you should not immediately panic. In these conditions, the causes of unpleasant odors, in addition to the above diseases, may be:

hormonal changes that increase or decrease the amount of natural secretions;
postpartum discharge, which may also have a slightly unpleasant odor, but after 1-1.5 months such discharge should no longer bother the woman.

Expert opinion

If an unpleasant, putrid odor appears from the vagina after childbirth, you should immediately consult a doctor, as this may be a symptom of inflammation in the uterine cavity. Also, if symptoms of an unpleasant odor appear along with itching, burning or pain during pregnancy or after childbirth, you should consult a gynecologist as soon as possible.

Obstetrician-gynecologist of the highest category Oksana Anatolyevna Gartleb

unpleasant vaginal odor

Another common question is the causes of unpleasant vaginal odor after menstruation. There may be several options here:

failure to comply with hygiene rules during this difficult period for women;
proliferation of pathogenic microflora, for which menstrual flow is an excellent nutrient medium;
hormonal disorders.

Reasons for the problem

An unpleasant odor from the vagina is not always a sign of a gynecological disease. Sometimes it appears for completely harmless reasons:

Changes in hormonal levels. Hormonal surges in the body cause increased vaginal secretion. Because of this, the nature of the smell does not change, it only becomes more noticeable. This phenomenon is typical for adolescence, pregnancy and menopause.
Insufficient hygiene. Neglect of intimate hygiene leads to the formation of a favorable environment for the growth of bacteria. Until accompanying symptoms appear, the problem is solved by washing. In advanced cases, gynecological diseases develop, and it is no longer possible to do without the help of a doctor.
Stress. Cause hormonal disruptions and increased secretion. In addition, girls who are constantly worried experience slight urinary incontinence when coughing, sneezing or laughing. Because of this, the discharge smells like urine. A similar problem plagues overweight women.
Features of the menstrual cycle. The smell of iron indicates the presence of blood in the discharge. This is normal for the period before and after menstruation.
Changes in the composition of microflora. If the discharge smells like semen and is not associated with sexual intercourse, the bacterial composition may have changed. In case of temporary changes, there is no need to worry.
Water imbalance. The smell of ammonia appears due to low fluid intake and the predominance of proteins in food. When you change your diet, the problem solves itself.

In any case, you cannot make a diagnosis yourself. If you have any concerns, you should visit a gynecologist.

What to do if you have an unpleasant vaginal odor?

Self-treatment if an unpleasant odor appears from the vagina is not a solution. In this case, the problem may become even more serious. Therefore, it is necessary to clearly establish the cause of the unpleasant odor, for which the gynecologist takes a smear for laboratory testing. If any infections are detected, the doctor must prescribe treatment, which often involves the use of local medications that do not affect the entire body. This is especially important during pregnancy, as well as in the postpartum period.

If the cause of unpleasant odor from the genital tract is associated with vaginal dysbiosis, the Gynocomfort Restoring Gel can be used as an additional remedy used in the complex treatment of dysbiosis. Developed by specialists from the pharmaceutical company VERTEX, this product underwent clinical trials at the Department of Dermatovenereology with the clinic of St. Petersburg State Medical University and showed its high effectiveness in normalizing vaginal biocenosis.

Vitamins in complex therapy in the treatment of unpleasant vaginal odor

In addition to the treatment prescribed by the doctor, a woman should consider strengthening the body’s immune defense. This is especially necessary if the doctor has identified thrush or another infection that occurs with decreased immunity or hormonal imbalance. In this case, courses of vitamins, a revision of the diet in favor of vegetables and fruits, and an increase in the amount of clean water that a woman drinks daily will be useful. Also during the treatment period, it is especially important to avoid intimacy, carefully observe hygiene rules and completely abandon bad habits. Smoking and alcohol not only seriously reduce immunity, but also provoke hormonal imbalances.

For daily intimate hygiene, the use of special products is recommended.
For example, the use of Gynocomfort washing gels helps maintain the natural microflora of the vagina at the required level. These products were developed by specialists from the pharmaceutical company VERTEX and have all the necessary documents authorizing their use for intimate hygiene. Sources:

BACTERIAL VAGINOSIS IN PREGNANT: PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS. Voronin K.V., Chuiko V.I., Ben Saada Nakhla // Medical perspectives. – 2011. – No. 4. – pp. 97-106.
MODERN VIEWS ABOUT THE MECHANISMS OF DEVELOPMENT OF VAGINAL DYSBIOSIS. Dobrokhotova Yu.E., Zatikyan N.G. // Obstetrics, gynecology and reproduction. – 2008. – No. 1. – P. 7-9.
The state of vaginal microbiocenosis and methods for correcting its disorders during pregnancy. P.V. Budanov, A.N. Strizhakov // Issues of gynecology, obstetrics and perinatology. – 2007. – T.6, No. 5. – pp. 89-95.
Etiopathogenesis, diagnosis and modern directions in the treatment of bacterial vaginosis. V.N. Prilepskaya, G.R. Bayramova // Russian. honey. magazine. – 2002. – T. 10, No. 18. – P. 705-797.
Possibilities for correcting dysbiotic conditions of vaginal and cervical canal biotopes in pregnant women at risk. AND ABOUT. Kryzhanovskaya, E.Yu. Lebedenko, A.S. Martyshenko, V.V. Chernavsky // Rus. honey. magazine. – 2003. – No. 1. – pp. 27-30.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/317560.php
https://www.healthline.com/health/womens-health/how-to-get-rid-of-vaginal-odor
https://www.verywellhealth.com/why-does-my-vagina-smell-funny-3133225

Treatment of vaginal odor with folk remedies and traditional medicine

Modern medicine makes it possible to get rid of diseases of any degree of complexity. Currently, traditional medicine offers a large number of methods.

The most common are:

Douching with decoctions of string or chamomile.
Licorice root is a good remedy that can be made into a decoction and washed with it several times a day.
Periwinkle tincture helps against women's ailments if you drink it three times a day, 2 tbsp. spoons.
Thick-leaved sweet potato infused in boiling water even helps get rid of the clay smell.
Douching with a decoction of oak bark, which is brewed, and then douching with a steep decoction.

This is only a small part of the ways that help get rid of the unpleasant sensation and the reason that caused it. Calendula, tavgola, coltsfoot are also excellent helpers in the fight against these ailments.

Traditional treatment methods include:

Suppositories for discharge.
Ointments.
Cleaning products.
Disinfectants.
Antifungal or antiviral drugs.
Medicines to stabilize microflora.

There are a lot of methods for treating any ailment, so there is no need to be shy about addressing this concern, since this is the first signal that will allow you to quickly respond to unpleasant disorders in the body.

Classification by smell

If a fetid odor appears as a result of a disease of the female genital organs, then the specificity of the aroma can largely indicate the disease itself.

A woman can independently guess the disease by more specifically assessing the smell of the genitals:

The aroma of onions from the vagina indicates that pathogenic microorganisms have entered the body.
A pungent smell from the vagina, reminiscent of urine, indicates severe and frequent stress. This condition can also appear as a result of obesity. The smell of urine appears due to the fact that the normal tone of the organs is disrupted.
The aroma of rotten fish occurs as a result of inflammatory processes that can be caused by various pathogens.
If it seems that it smells like after sex, then the vaginal microflora is most likely disturbed.
The intimate area smells sour in cases of inflammation in the external genital area.
The discharge smells like vinegar or acetone, often with the development of diabetes mellitus. The discharge smells sour due to excessive release of toxic substances.
The garlic aroma appears after heavy consumption of this product, or with fungal pathogens in the pelvic organs.
A metallic aroma from intimate organs appears when bleeding of varying amounts occurs for various reasons. It is the blood that gives this aroma.
A sweet tint of vaginal discharge is a sure sign that a woman is consuming too many sweets. This phenomenon also often appears during menopause.
The specific smell of beer indicates that its owner has overdone drinking alcoholic beverages.
The fishy smell from the intimate area is the most common, since it can appear due to both bacterial and fungal and infectious diseases. In addition, the smell of fish from the vagina may indicate the presence of serious disorders, inflammation of internal organs and other pathologies.

If you violate the rules of personal hygiene, you need to understand that a woman gives the green light to all pathogenic microorganisms that can damage organs with the most dangerous ailments. Therefore, in women’s health it could not be more appropriate to say that cleanliness is the key to health. Discharge with an odor should be a signal to consult a doctor.