A Canadian doctor, Jen Gunter, has urged women with ‘smelly vaginas’ to dump boyfriends, husbands, male partners with benefit who complain about the natural smell of their genitals.
According to Dr. Jen, a vagina should smell. It is a ‘form of
abuse’ when men complain and women should not feel ashamed or feel they have to resort to buying harmful products that create artificial odours.
These harmful products, she says, upset the vagina’s natural pH balance and leave you at a greater risk of infections like gonorrhoea and even HIV.
Writing in her latest blog newsletter, the Canadian gynecologist revealed she once dumped a boyfriend for complaining about the smell of her genitals.
She wrote:
She wrote:
‘I once dated a guy who insinuated my vagina did not smell right. He was an a** in other ways too. For example, he thought my hair would be better if it were straight. Sadly I took the bait, it wasn’t.‘He thought I would look better if I dressed a certain way. Again I took the bait. I just felt worse.‘When it came around to telling me how my vagina could be better, it finally clicked that this is a form of control that men often use.‘Fortunately I am an appropriately confident vagina expert and I had a light bulb moment and dumped his sorry a**.‘I realize this may border on TMI [too much information], but honestly if it happened to me I bet it has happened to other women.A vagina takes care of itself. Like a self cleaning oven. The vagina needs no cleaning and the vulva needs very little.However, ‘a strong vaginal odor – for instance, a “fishy” smell – might be abnormal and could indicate a problem.‘If you think you have a medical condition, see a doctor. If your partner insinuates that an artificial smell is preferable to the smell of a normal vagina they are the one who has an issue.‘Telling women how they can be better is a classic way of tapping into body image issues and honestly in my personal opinion it is a form of abuse.’
Dr Gunter has previously stressed that women should be aware that douches are unnecessary – and even dangerous – as our intimate areas are designed to clean themselves.
She also recently warned about the dangers of carrying out a ‘vagina facial’ using a cucumber or other things in and around the vagina.
However, If you notice a fishy smell “down there,” you’re not alone. Many women experience this at some point in their lives, but it is often an indication that something isn’t right. While doctors agree that it’s difficult to gauge what’s “normal” and what isn’t, a particularly strong odor typically indicates an infection. There could be other causes as well.
6 Common Causes of Fishy vaginal Odours:
1. Trichomoniasis
Trichomoniasis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by a parasite. Frothy discharge that is green or yellow in color.
Discharge that has a fishy odor.
Burning during sex or urination. This can be treated with antibiotics see a Doctor.
2.Bacterial Vaginosis. Can be treated too.
3. Yeast Infection
Yeast infections are common among women, and often causes a thick white or yellow discharge to appear. The discharge may also take on a fishy smell, and you may experience soreness, itching and burning as well. Can be treated, see a Doctor or visit your chemist (Pharmacy) for treatment.
4. Sweat
Sweat can cause unpleasant smells in the vaginal area. These odors are caused by the apocrine sweat glands in your vaginal area – the same glands found in your armpits. When these glands secrete oils, the bacteria on your skin metabolize them and emit a distinct odor. The more sweat you produce in this area, the stronger the odor will be.
If you have a habit of wearing tight clothing or underwear, trapped sweat in your groin may be causing the fishy odor. Overweight women, in particular, have this issue as skin folds trap sweat and lead to unpleasant smells.
5. Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
Also known as PID, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease is caused by bacteria, and is typically transmitted through sexual intercourse. The bacteria travels through the vagina and into the uterus.
When symptoms do present themselves, women often experience fishy odors, pelvic pain, fatigue, painful urination or sex, fever and heavy discharge.
6. The Foods You Eat
the foods you eat can actually affect your vaginal odor. Foods that have strong scents, like garlic, pepper, chilies, fish, blue cheese, onion, cabbage and broccoli can cause strange odors. If food is causing the fishy smell, try eliminating them from your diet to see if there's improvement.