Women, vaginal hygiene is key to a fortified matrimonial bedroom.
Women waste so much time wearing perfume over unhygienic bodies. You may never be fully dressed without perfume but sometimes a bad smell is more repulsive than an ugly photo or an awful image! Carrying on a life that is meant to be private in public is a breach of taste, common sense, and mental hygiene. That means one must not bring their awful stench to the public in the name of ignorance. Paying attention to your body and being aware of any sudden changes, any sudden variations in your feminine odour is a sign your body is telling you something is wrong, and it should be heeded. As for me, in every step that I have taken in life, I have accompanied my screened pubic hygiene with an exquisite perfume! My nose remembers more than my eyes! Esther Timberlake, Melbourne, Australia. 2014
Mrs Timberlake
Perhaps the most common vaginal odour described by women is a fishy one. The fishy smell is in actuality due to an imbalance in the vaginal pH. As healthy lactic acid bacteria is reduced in the vaginal environment, unhealthy bacteria and organisms grow readily. These bacterium have a natural smell to them that when added to vaginal discharge smells fishy. Poor hygiene is an obvious source of this problem in some cases but many women shower twice a day, lather on the perfume, wash their clothes religiously and still smell. This is so whether you are doing some manual work such as hairdressing, (Remember when we were little girls and our moms took us to salons to get the cornrows? Remember how when you had to get fringe cornrows, the hairdresser would have you face her knees so as to do them? The smell was almost always putrid) – or if you work behind a desk – you are always seated, your thighs close together, providing the warm sweaty environment that is paradise for bacteria responsible for bad smell.
Bacterial vaginosis is the most common culprit of a fishy odour emitting from the vagina. Other than the fishy smell, women sometimes notice that their vaginas smell metallic, or musty. These different odours, are often associated with bacterial or yeast infections and may occur alongside vaginal itchiness, burning, irritation, and a change in what would be considered your normal monthly menstrual discharge.
Feminine odour changes throughout a normal monthly menstrual cycle, and is subject to outside situations such as the presence of bacteria, foods that you eat and hormonal functions. The reason is simple. The vagina is prone to vaginal secretions and discharge due to a malady of factors that affect the way it smells. This, is nothing to be embarrassed about. In short, at any given time – your vagina will have a smell to it. Just like your breath or your feet, there is a certain odour associated with the vagina. The smell also varies when you are pregnant. 9 out of every 10 women experience an unusual vaginal odour during pregnancy caused solely by the immense amount of hormone secretions and overworking sebaceous sweat glands in the vaginal area that are stimulated into a frenzy during pregnancy. Additionally, as your body becomes deficient in vitamins and minerals that are now transferred to your baby, the pH (acidity level) of your vagina can be thrown off.
Women who are overweight also need to pay special attention here. Lack of exercise and sedentary lifestyle causing increased weight and obesity can make vaginal odour more offending as a result of the fat limiting the ventilation and creating a port for the collection of sweat, skin oil and other moisture which when dried and accumulated causes an unpleasant scent.
Incense burner popularly known as “ubani” is vital to a woman’s solution to pubic stench
“We have been married for 6 years now. She has had this smell that it is like living beside the dumpster, we have tried going to the doctors’ but they misdiagnose her all the time, we have tried meds and different cleaning solutions, but nothing helps. I have not said anything to her for the past 3 years for fear of hurting her feelings. Plus I know that when we have sex, it hurts her, so we are down to having sex once or twice a month. I want to have sex with her, her sex drive is close to none, everything goes well in our time of intimacy, but when she takes her underwear off, the smell fills the room like a devil straight from hell. The smell is like 4 year old fish left out in the sun for 3 years and 11 months, with a mix of burning trash, and decomposing carcass. It really smells abominal, I have never smelt anything so bad in my life. Don’t get me wrong, I love my wife, I really do, and I want to have intimate times with her, but this smell really ruins it for me, big time.” Anonymous
Ladies! This is very important! Most men lie or keep silent to avoid petty squabbles and to grease the wheels of their relationships. Most of us women are not willing to hear the bitter truth about ourselves. Our men can keep secrets or lie about what they really think about us for decades. Some go to their graves, never telling their wives some important home truths. If our men had the freedom to really speak their minds, they would say what many of us are not willing to hear. And one of the things men NEVER bring up but often silently agonize about is the fact that most of their wives emit a bad smell from their vaginas. This is true not only of wives, but of women in general. And the saddest part is, many of us women do not know and yet this is one of the primary issues that cause husbands to shut down sexually. Few people are honest enough to pull a friend, sister, daughter, wife aside and say, “you know, you usually emit an unpleasant smell” This would be the loving thing to do but the truth is, such honesty could ruin a relationship forever. We all know someone who perpetually smells. We wrinkle our noses, sometimes we whisper about them behind their backs but we never ever tell the person directly. The question is, how do you know that the same is not happening to you? If you dip your finger in your vagina, does it smell of fresh roses and lavender? If the answer is yes, then this article is not for you. If the answer is no, read on. It will never smell like roses and lavender but this article will let you know what to do to ensure that you don’t smell like dead fish.
Always keep your bedroom neat and freshly scented
My husband and I had the pleasure of living in Tanzania for a few months. Tanzanian women in my humble opinion are Africa’s best husband-keepers. One of the reasons for this is that they take special pride and extreme care to ensure that they smell good for their husbands all the time. They understand that this cannot be achieved simply by showering and spraying perfume. A Tanzanian woman will shower as often as she feels she is getting a little sweaty. For example, after cooking a meal and before sitting down with her husband, she will make sure she has a shower just to ensure that when they are eating, the only smell at the table is that of the food. Some will have a quick shower 5, 6, 7 times a day depending on how hot a day it is. Tanzanian women also have cultural secrets such as regularly soaking their underwear overnight in an enclosed bucket in a hot coconut/water mixture overnight.
Remember, that every woman has a certain smell to her vagina. If you feel the smell is offensive, onsets suddenly, or warrants a trip to the doctor – the following tips can help to eliminate vaginal odor and keep it from returning.
- Eating plenty of plain yoghurt is found to be effective. Make sure that this is organic, unflavored yoghurt, especially the non-sugary type. Yoghurt is rich in lactobacillus, which helps to restore the normal vaginal pH level, helping to prevent the condition from recurring.
- Discourage growth of pubic hair and armpit fur. Please don’t let the afro thrive down there! This is a major cause of bad smell. The presence of ample pubic hair, contained within a warm, damp and dark environment will increase any musty odor. Shave it often.
- Apple cider vinegar helps restore the acidic quality of the vaginal flora and fights off the toxins that cause infection. Simply indulge in a long bath with two to three cups of this natural antibacterial agent in your bathing water to achieve quick results.
- Garlic is one of nature’s most powerful antibiotics. Inserting a clove of garlic into your vagina and retaining it for a couple of hours can alleviate the bad vaginal odor to a large extent.
- Tea tree oil, also known as melaleuca alternifolia, is a species of tree or shrub native to Australia. It has antifungal properties that are effective for eliminating vaginal discharge and odor. Tea tree oil also has antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties with good skin penetration capabilities and very low potential for skin irritation.
- Pour half cup of vinegar and half cup of salt into a bathtub and soak several times a week. This will help to balance the vaginal pH.
- Avoid douching. Instead, wash with warm water and mild soap. You may find a hand held shower attachment can help you to feel cleaner. Be sure to wash the labia and inner folds of the vagina as well. Do not use perfumes and chemical soaps on your vagina.
- Wear cotton panties and loose fitting clothes. Tight jeans and fabrics that don’t allow your vagina to breathe can result in vaginal sweating, causing bacteria build-up, an eventually will cause an odor.
- Avoid using tissue papers at all costs. Always wipe front to back after bowel movements to avoid spread of rectal bacteria.
- Changing pads, tampons, and pantie-liners frequently.
- Changing underwear daily.
- Avoid using scented product, harsh laundry detergents, or feminine products designed to ‘freshen’ the vagina.
- Hot showers must be a NO GO zone. Hot water can kill your body’s natural bacteria. Try taking colder baths or showers to see if it helps reduce your vaginal odor.
- Spreading your legs near a jiko while seated. The gradually burning charcoal must have ubani scent. Incense (a perfume often used in the rites of various religions) can be found at all market centres. Also charcoal warmth plays a major role by drying the natural emanation and discouraging the growth of pubic and other unwanted hair on female bodies. It also treats acne, pimples and firms up breasts.
- Because bacteria thrives in moist environments, it’s important to dry the entire vaginal area after taking a shower or bath.
- Those suffering from vaginal odor must also avoid caffeine and sugary drinks.
- A diet that is high in red meats (nyama choma anyone?), spicy foods and dairy products can make not only the feaces and the body smell bad, but it can also contribute to the smelly vaginal by making it more offensive than usual.
- Stick to one man policy! Many people have a problem with a foul odor in the vagina after intercourse. The pH of semen, along with the extra secretions during sex can create a cocktail of odorous proportions. Top that off with the various secretion from different men and you have a disaster in your hands
Many people have a problem with a foul odor in the vagina after intercourse. This is especially true if your partner ejaculates inside of you. The pH of the semen, along during with the extra secretions sex can create a cocktail of odorous proportions. Some women are actually ‘allergic’ to their partner’s semen, which can eventually cause bacteria to build up, yeast infections and urinary tract infections.
You must always keep your pubic area out of vaginal odor knob
One reason that the problem is pronounced after sex is because the natural movement of intercourse tends to push the bacteria higher into the reproductive organs. If you have this problem, you should ask your partner to ejaculate outside or use a condom. However, many women also have a bad reaction to the latex and chemicals on condoms as well. If the odor primarily comes after sex, you might want to start taking a pro-biotic or eating yoghurt on a daily basis to build up your beneficial flora.
It’s not an easy job but trust me, the benefits are worthwhile – your husband will be very grateful! Try to make all or some of the points above a regular lifestyle habit and watch yourself become a healthier, better-smelling you!
By Esther Timberlake
placentapartyofkenya.
