woman holding both her nostrils with hand to ward off bad smell — Shutterstock

6 reasons your vagina smells weird

Wondering why your vagina smells weird?

If you have a vagina, you’ve probably asked yourself why it has a certain smell.

Let’s start by clearing the air: It is natural and totally normal for your vagina to have some kind of smell. Some women are very self-conscious about the smell of their vaginas. Some go to the extent of putting weird things in their vagina so that they can smell nice and fresh.

A healthy vagina has a certain smell, it can smell different things, however, it should not have a bad smell.

Are you still wearing a silk panty?
If you are still insisting on being fancy by wearing silk, satin, or polyester panties, it could be one of the reasons your vagina has a weird smell. These fabrics do not allow your vagina to breathe and they do not absorb excess which affects the natural bacteria level in your vagina.

This often leads to infections which, in turn, cause the smell. The solution to this is to embrace cotton panties and avoid staying for long with sweaty clothes.
You have an STI
A stinky vagina can signal an STI. Common STI’s that cause an awful smell down there include trichomoniasis, yeast infection, and bacterial vaginosis. The trichomoniasis will make your vagina have a strong fishy smell, a yeast infection will cause a sweet or beer-like smell, while bacterial vaginosis will have a fishy smell.

That is why it is important to go for regular checkups so that these STIs are treated early.
UTIs and other urinary issues
Having an ammonia-like smell down there?

Well, it could be that you have a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI). A UTI is an infection of the urinary system. This infection also comes with an ammonia-like smell. Your doctor should advise on the best antibiotic.
Did you forget a tampon in there?
The smell is obviously unpleasant.

Some women forget to remove their tampon and when it stays there for days, it causes a bad vaginal smell. If this tampon is left for too long, it can lead to serious infections. To remove the tampon, wash your hands and search for the string. If you cannot find it, visit a doctor.
Your period is also a suspect
If you have a metallic smell it could be your period.

During your periods, the pH of your vagina can change and this can lead to a metallic smell. The solution to this is to wash your vulva with mild, unscented soap. The best thing is that this smell should go away once your period ends.
Your hygiene habits
A sweaty vagina will definitely smell.

Your groin area has sweat glands thus it makes sense why your vagina would have some sort of smell. That’s why it is important to wash your vulva since this helps get rid of dead skin, sweat, and dirt. Remember, the vagina does not need to be cleaned as it is self-cleaning.