7/7/11
Dear Dr. Kate: When In Her Cycle Does a Woman Smell the Sweetest?

photo by Tambako The Jaguar

Dr. Kate is an OB/GYN at one of the largest teaching hospitals in New York City and she answers your medical questions here every two weeks. To ask her your own question, click here.

Dear Dr. Kate,

I was wondering if, right after your period, your vagina would go back to smelling and tasting normal? And when in your cycle do you taste the sweetest?

— Rosebud

Dear Rosebud,

You ask a difficult question, since “normal” is different for every woman. The smell and taste of iron from your period should certainly resolve in a few days once the bleeding has stopped. Other than blood or infection, odor tends to come from sweat — the vulva and vagina have sweat glands, like elsewhere on your body. And the scent may change as your cycle progresses (in response to hormones) or simply at the end of the day before you’ve showered. So there’s no way to know — without experimenting with your partner — when you smell and taste the sweetest. You might also want to check out the column by Em & Lo on this site, “How Can I Smell and Taste Better Down There?

— Dr. Kate
Gynotalk
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Dr. Kate is an OB/GYN at one of the largest teaching hospitals in New York City. She also lectures nationally on women’s health issues and conducts research on reproductive health. Check out more of her advice and ask her a question at Gynotalk.com.