By Dr Chin Akano
We shall be discussing vaginal odour and I hope you will find this topic interesting.
I will drop it in several parts for ease of reading.
Let us start by explaining what vaginal odour means?
This is any abnormal odour originating from the vagina
IS EVERY SMELL COMING FROM THE VAGINA ABNORMAL?
Not every smell from the vagina is abnormal.
Every female has a particular natural vaginal smell which is normal for her.
It is when the usual smell changes and becomes unpleasant that it is described as vaginal odour.
I like to point out that sometimes the change in smell may be linked to a specific moment in the menstrual cycle because the smell of the vagina can vary depending on the time of the cycle.
WHAT IS THE PROBLEM WITH HAVING AN UNPLEASANT VAGINAL ODOUR?
* It may limit sexual activity in a relationship as the unpleasant odour may cause erectile dysfunction in the man
* The woman may feel so uncomfortable engaging in sexual activity with such a stench.
* Depending on the cause of the odour, there may be complications which I will discuss later .
WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE CAUSES OF VO:
Vaginal odour is usually due to the inflammation of the vagina.
What causes this?
The commonest causes are infections.
There are of course other causes aside infections.
Before discussing the infections that can cause vaginal odour, let me attempt to list the non-infective causes.
Non infective causes:
* Poor vaginal hygiene
* Excessive washing of the vagina
* Douching
* Wearing very tight clothing
* Certain contraceptives esp intra-uterine device (IUD)
* Foreign body in vagina e.g., tampons
* Washing the vagina with certain chemicals like scented body washes and anti-bacterial soap
* Alternating vaginal and anal intercourse during the same session.
*Though rare, diet can affect the smell of your vagina e.g., garlic
Part 2 will deal on infections that cause VO
Thanks for reading
Dr Chin Akano
