Dr Girl/Dr Dejour Q&A


Dr Girl/Dr Dejour Q&A
Hello Dr Dejour,

I wanted to know what was that smell from down there... and how can I get rid of it...and can you have sex with tampons or your period?

Thanks...
Smelly

Dear Girl-who-is-probably-normal,

The 'smells down there' gets a lot of bad press and on the whole this is very unfair. I personally don't think semen smells too flash but this is never mentioned! The normal smell of a woman is a combination of vaginal discharge (your wetness down there is the equivalent of an erection in a boy) and sweat / oils. It is part of 'you' and I think therefore to be embraced.

Sometimes an 'offensive' or different discharge indicates a genital infection, and this is easily established by examination at your local doctor's surgery. I might remind you that if you are sexually active you should see your doctor about a Pap smear anyway, and it could all be done at the same time.

Now, sex. Sexual intimacy takes on many forms and the details are beyond the scope of your question. You should not have penetrative intercourse with a tampon in as you run the risk of losing the thing and the trip to the emergency department can be embarrassing! They are fished out easily enough but that's not your ideal post coital activity. All other types of 'sex' though are fine with a tampon in.

Similarly, with your period, most people carry on. The risk of getting a sexually transmitted disease is slightly higher if you are bleeding (the bugs thrive on blood and can more easily ascend to your upper genital tract) so you should bear this in mind.

Regards,

Dr Dejour

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