Ask Alison.

vaginal odour.
OK...i noticed this horrible odor and after awhile i discovered it was coming from my vagina! Ughh its disgusting. I know "they say" it smells down there if you eat certain foods like meat...i had a turkey sandwhich for dinner..could that be it? or could i have some kind of infection? I really dont wanna be in school and have people notice the odor ...wat can i do to conceal it / get rid of it? Any help is good help..thanks

Yes, food can affect your vagina - but more how it tastes as opposed to smells. There are some basic steps that you, meat eater or not, should take to ensure your vagina is happy and fresh:

First, wash it daily with a non-scented soap, such as Johnson's baby soap. Make sure to get in all the crevices - they can harbour bacteria and that can lead to smells.

Next, wear vagina-friendly cotton panties. They won't allow sweat to build up as much as, say, silk or satin. Pantyhose also aren't the most friendly thing for non-smelling vaginas.

Third, if you already do these things daily and have this problem anyway, head over to a gyno. Strong smelling vagina is not normal - uninformed people will say vagina is 'supposed' to smell like fish, but this is patently untrue. A person with good hygiene WILL NOT smell strongly. Odour could be a sign of an infection. Only a gyno can diagnose you correctly.

A final note: Using sprays/perfume to 'hide' the smell won't help you. It could irritate your skin/vagina and lead to further problems; you want to make sure you treat the actual problem, not just the symptoms.

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Posted on 2004-09-15 at 2:40 p.m.