[collegechick]

Me and my boyfriend Tom have been dating for a while and we have sex like everyday. I make sure that when in the shower i shave, i scrub down thereeeeee in the area with a washcloth and .. all the good stuff.. well iv kinda always had this smell.. and i want him to eat me out cuz it feeels soo good.. but the thing is.. he doesnt want to do it because he says he doesnt like the taste.. so is there i can get ride of the smell? or make it taste better? and not to sound gross and i really want this to go away but he says it smells like fish?... but if i wash it everyday... how the does it smell like that?

[jns]

Have you gone to your doctor to make sure you don't have something? Try using water to clean up with after going to the bathroom instead of just wiping with paper (from how cleaning up is done in Southeast Asia where they mostly don't use toilet paper and therefore are more environmentally friendly).

[DreamP346]

The vagina has a smell. That is just the way it is. You can't change that. Most men/women find that smell very arousing. You shouldn't over do the cleaning because it will change the pH of your vagina and can cause yeast infections. Use a mild soap like Dove. No body washes, lotions, douches or perfumes. Don't wear underwear or at least don't wear any at night. Let your vagina breath. Don't use harsh soaps like Ivory. There is a special soap called SebaMed Feminine Intimate Wash that is supposed to be really good but hard to find in the US. You can get them easily in Canada and Europe.

Your vagina smell should be musky. Place your finger there and smell them. If they smell bad like rotten eggs, then you might have an infection. All that extra cleaning may have caused it. Otherwise its just your natural smell.

If your bf doesn't like your smell, maybe he can use a dental dam.

[collegechick]

Sp346- i mean like i clean it but not rough stuff and i dont use any soap down there i just take a wash clothe with hot water and just rub in and around it..
The dove soap can be used in that area? lol rotten eggs isnt the smell but im glad its not. hes says fishy but when i check it i feel like its fine. i guess ill say its a natural smelll but tonight ill try the no underware to bed.. maybe that will help.?

whats a dental dam?

[Tim]

As another poster suggested, go to a doctor *just to make sure* there isn't any kind of underlying infection you're contending with.

The yeast issue is a big one, not just for women but for everyone. Often times doctors don't pay enough attention to the yeast/fungal issues, but it's good to get a doctor's opinion regardless, just to help you figure out what may be going on.

Researchers fight a bit on the best way to handle vaginal health. Some believe that it is entirely self-cleaning and should not be cleaned beyond using a neutral, very gentle soap, and others go to the extent...which you can research yourself...of using douches and then yogurt to help repopulate the friendly bacteria in the vagina if there is an out-of-balance yeast issue happening (too much yeast).

One woman I know went to the extent of using safe alternative anti-pathogens (antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral) as a douche and then used the yogurt technique to again repopulate the friendly bacteria. (Plain yogurt of course). Taking oral probiotics may also help with this, tho they are designed for the colon and I couldn't guarantee the live cultures would make it intact to the vagina. There may be probiotic vaginal suppositories for accomplishing that (I think there is).

"Fish" smell is common but is believed to indicate that your vagina is not in optimal health.

On the soap vs natural issue: from a male perspective, in my experience (which admittedly is not extensive), if the woman has washed in the past several hours, half day or so, I actually *prefer* her natural scent and taste. I would not want my lady to taste like soap, and a more neutral, gentle soap should be sufficient. Giving a woman oral is a close second to receiving it, I absolutely love giving a woman oral, and I have for the most part loved every part of it...the way she looks, feels, her scent and her taste. If I'm attracted to a woman, I of course *want* to experience her natural scent and taste. If my tongue didn't tire as readily as it can (lol) I'd be happy giving a woman I'm attracted to oral for quite a long time, and I always want to try to give her an orgasm via this route over any other.

Let us know how things go.

[Tim]

A dental dam is a sheet of latex that would be used to cover the area...essentially a stretched out condom. There would of course not be direct tongue-to-vagina/clitoris contact.

I personally would rather see you use an unscented baby-mild Dr. Bronner's Pure Castile Soap as an example. Should be at your local grocery store. Coconut oil based, which also may help with yeast issues (coconut oil inhibits yeast growth) and organic giving you a very pure soap (fair trade too, an added bonus). It's just a great soap.

[Ashlee T.]

If you are not noticing the smell he's referring to...it really makes me wonder if he just doesn't want to do it. It sounds like you take good care of yourself. Doesn't sound like you have infection or anything like that.

I hear guys, especially younger ones, make comments about girls smelling like fish. I've been around a lot of girls, sleepovers, laying out, showers, in underwear, and I have never not once smelled a fishy smell. I have heard of this in the case of particular infections, but I do not believe it is a common thing.

Try a summers eve or off brand unscented feminine wash for those areas. Be sure you're eating a healthy diet. And if he continues on with not wanting to do it, then write it off to the fact that he just doesn't want to, not because you smell. Otherwise you'll end up with a complex about it and it will affect your self confidence. And if he thinks he smells like roses and his ejaculate like a dessert........he's surely got alot to learn.

[lizzardb63]

You can try eating fruits and cut out any alcohol, cigarettes, or other harsh things from your diet. That could change the way you taste, just like it does for a man.

[a_dub]

I've never been down on a girl, do most vaginas have a smell of some sort?

[ItsASecret]

do most vaginas have a smell of some sort?

Yes. It is going to be considered her natural scent mainly because everyone sweats in that area, including men. Some like that scent some do not. And it is quite possible with good hygiene to smell like nothing at all. As long as good hygiene is kept up then the natural scent will be very mild. Mild because sweat is sort-of musky at varying degrees. Poor hygiene or the unfortunate occurrence of infections can cause a less appealing odor. Men, no offense, tend to perform less hygiene in that area then women lol. Think about it, you go to the bathroom and shake of course not all is going to be gone and you tend not to use a piece of toilet paper after and even less likely to wash up with some water after. Collect that over the course of a day + regular sweat can create a less than appealing odor. However most men and women are good about at least having a quick wash with water before they receive oral just incase though.