Smell changes down there

A healthy vagina is not supposed to smell like a meadow. The NHS says discharge is normal if it does not have a strong or unpleasant smell, so a mild, natural scent is nothing to worry about.

Why it has a scent at all

Your vagina is home to helpful bacteria, mostly lactobacilli, that produce lactic acid. This keeps the environment slightly acidic, which helps protect against infection. Jean Hailes explains that when this balance shifts, bacterial vaginosis (BV) can follow.

Smells worth noting

• Strong fishy smell, especially after sex, with thin grey-white discharge: often bacterial vaginosis. BV is common and not classed as an STI, but sex can trigger it.
• Very strong, unpleasant smell: could be a forgotten tampon. The NHS says a tampon cannot get lost but can turn sideways, so check, and see your GP or a sexual health clinic if you cannot remove it.
• Smell with green, yellow or frothy discharge: possibly trichomoniasis, which needs treatment.
• No smell, but thick white itchy discharge: more like thrush, which usually does not smell.

What actually helps

The NHS says to avoid perfumed soaps, bubble bath, vaginal deodorants and washes, and douches. With BV it also suggests showers instead of baths, plain soap for the genital area, and not smoking. Probiotics are often sold for vaginal health, but researchers say there is not yet enough good evidence that they treat or prevent BV. BV is treated with antibiotics.