Dr. Kate is an OB/GYN at one of the largest teaching hospitals in New York City who answers your medical questions here once a week. To ask her your own question, click here.
Hello Dr. Kate,
My question is about the taste of my vagina. Both from what my boyfriend has said/his reactions and my own taste-tests, I know that sometimes I taste of nothing and sometimes almost bitter (even after showering). Is this change due to hormones, or is it like with men where the foods you eat affect your taste? Thank you so much!
— (Would Rather Be) Tasteless
Dear Tasteless,
Every woman has a unique taste that changes based on many things. At different times in your cycle, your taste can change from sweet to salty to sour. When you’re aroused, or if you’re sweating (or both), the flavor can also be different. And certainly having an infection (yeast or vaginosis) can cause your taste to change.
It’s unclear if diet can really change the taste of vaginal secretions — unsurprisingly, it’s hard to get funding to do such research. But anecdotally, different foods in your diet can change how you taste. The foods I hear about most: raw garlic, citrus fruits (particularly pineapple), strawberries, coffee, and asparagus. Even alcohol, nicotine and vitamins have the potential to change your taste. Violet Blue goes into further details that she learned while researching her book on cunnilingus.
I’d love to hear about this from you all… Have any of you (or your partners) noticed a change in your vaginal taste? What do you think it’s due to?
— Dr. Kate
I don’t think I would want to give the government control over that personally. As much as I feel that regulation is in need, sex is, unfortunately, still primarily a morally driven issue in this country … I just worry that a bunch of moralistic Representatives and Senators would get their panties in a bunch and try to outlaw the sex industry (or something along those lines).
I think that a standard protocol of listing what is actually used in the creation of those things would be a good idea… I just worry about the government taking it too far.
I agree, Elizabeth, and so does my man (and my man is twice your man’s age) He doesn’t want Gummy Worm flavored pussy. (Now, a nice scotch on the rocks……j/k) In my case, (MANY years ago, when I was a teenager) even the flavored lubes would give me a yeast infection. Most likely due to the glycerin, but who knows? We used to buy that stuff at Spencer’s and it may have contained some sort of sugar, in the bad old 70s. Quality control not being as it is now (which isn’t saying much, as sex toys etc are STILL not regulated by the FDA.)
I am guessing that due to the name “littlekidlover” (ca-reepy) this was a not serious post.
I have a question, due to the problems with unregulated lubes, sex toys made with stuff you’d never want to put in your mouth, much less your nether regions, etc, is goverment control or at least regulation something people want? (No more phtalate filled “jelly rubber” carcinogenic, stinky, cheap sex toys, but who knows WHAT the government would do to the Industry we all know and love.) Or would simply a standard protocol to LIST what the toys, gels, lubes etc are made of be better?
Em&Lo, I hope I didn’t hijack the thread. I’m just interested in what people think about the control of quality in sex toys and lubes from a Body which could actually protect us.
Okay, first and formost, why the hell is your name “little kid lover?” Perv! That is very sick. Second, you’re an idiot if you are putting that crap down there. But maybe if you are what your name states then you deserve it.
Um… I really am not going to try and alter the taste of my vagina in a way that can cause MASSIVE yeast infections. Sorry, but even mild yeast infections are a kind of discomfort sent straight from hell. And honestly, I don’t see why you would either. Oral sex is not a good enough trade off.
And on top of that, how old are the men you date? Because I don’t know ONE man my age (which is 23) who would want to eat out a girl who tasted like gummyworms (based on an informal survey of my friends). Sorry, but that’s a) creepy and b) not what they’re looking for.
Madamoiselle L is definitely right – REAL men don’t complain about the taste of a clean vaginal area. It’s supposed to taste like that – NOT like some child’s candy.
No really, the sugar… Makes it taste like gummyworms. Try it. Very pleasuring.
I second Nika’s statement. NEVER put anything with sugar, honey, or other sweet foods into your vagina. The nastiest yeast infection of your life is awaiting you.
Adult men are not afraid of the taste of a nice, clean, un”flavored” pussy. Flavored anything (including lubes) are for kids just starting out, and most of them will cause vaginal infections and penis irritation as well. Don’t be afraid of the taste and smell of genitals. They are YUMMY! Just as they are
Use a good unflavored, non glycerin lube (like KY gel or Astroglyde green cap) or silicone lube ONLY IF you are not using silicone toys. (Sorry. but I don’t buy some of the Toy industries conviction that “good medical grade” silicone won’t melt on contact with silicone lube, it will.)
But, please, keep the sugar and other flavorings out of your pussy. Pussy should taste like…..PUSSY. Experienced men and women everywhere agree.
NOOO! No sugar/sugary things down there!
It WILL cause an infection!
I found that if you put powered sugar down there, it’ll taste like gummy worms. Most of My men..wait no, ALL of my men love it.
Young but worried – I really wouldn’t worry, to put it bluntly, would you expect to like the taste of another woman? if no, then you’re probably not wired that way and you can’t really be surprised that you don’t want to lap your taste up like it’s a new flavour of ice-cream.. I’d be willing to bet he wouldn’t much like the taste of him either, but he’ll go crazy for yours.. ;0) cos unlike food, it’s not just about the taste, but where it’s served and other things, like f*ck me pheromones you’re pumping out down there which will make him very hot for you :0) on a practical front, keep clean, just with plain soap and water or mild shower gel (I use sanex, don’t know if that’s available in the US?) wear panties with a cotton gusset so your bits can breathe and don’t faff around with douches or vaginal deodarants, the guy isn’t going down there for the taste of summer flowers or whatever and you’re more likely to get funky smells/yeast infections etc if you’re putting to many products down there… Hope that helps :0)
Im young, and my boyfriend wants to lick me out, and i want him too. so the other day i was thinking and i thought what if it taste bad, so i took a taste myself, unfortunately it tasted foul and I really need help to make it taste better 🙁
Hum, I am an older woman and I have those same “immature” insecurities. Please don’t brush off others so easliy. It can affect your life, regardless of how much you try to ignore it.
For years I have been tested and prodded to find some relief from thick, sour discharge. Not once did I have an infection of some sort. I followed all the guidelines….cotton panties(wearing sexy underwear makes the smell even worse), no douching(though after the age of 30 I finally just started doing it), drink plenty of water. Been told to douche with watered down hydrogen peroxide by my doc. Told to stop sleeping around(at the age of 16, never been with a man at that point). I finally just gave up when they said it is just all in your head. Even after having someone hand me a bottle of baby powder saying I could really use it. Or cuddling with my 2 year old and her saying I am stinky.
It is embarrasing. I stopped dating seriously 10 years ago because I felt disgusting. I am constantly aware of my smell. I am a very healthy, clean, vibrant woman who happens to have a not so happy outlook with her vagina.
I notice a LOT of very young women responding to this post. Ladies, there is a hell of a lot MORE to whether or not your man goes down than “how you taste.” Most GROWN men don’t care and don’t notice the “taste” (unless you are unclean) and love oral sex. Inexperienced men and women tend to have issues with things like “taste” etc.
Men who will not give oral usually refuse NOT because of “taste” but because they are selfish and immature bastards or have vagiphobia. RUN do not walk from such man/boys.
I do, subliminally notice my dh’s semen changes taste, according to what he eats, drinks, when he exercises a lot, how much fluid he drinks. The “taste” of his ejaculate makes NO difference whether I give him head. I do it because I LOVE it, and because HE LOVES it. I know my taste changes, because I love when he kisses me during the act, and I also give him head frequently when we take small breaks from intercouse. It’s NO big deal ever.
Neither of us have EVER mentioned the changes in taste to the other, mainly because we are beyond such silly expenditures of energy. WHO CARES? If you are healthy, and clean, the taste may change, but it SHOULD have NO impact on whether or not your man Goes Down. If it does, he needs to grow up. I am usually more tolerant of things, but this is silly silly silly silly thing to worry about.
A mature grown man does what pleases you, and doesn’t care about a minor change in “taste.” I can’t even remember the last time I even THOUGHT about this issue, nor has my Man. Please ladies, focus on other things during sex. (like having a GOOD time and also pleasing your lover.) As long as you are clean, he should be giving you head. If he isn’t, the relationship most likely isn’t mature enough to continue.
As for the girl who said “don’t let him go down on you if he mentioned it.” Does SHE go without oral sex? She expects YOU to. (My guess is she doesn’t have sex regularly yet, or would not have mentioned such a NONWORKABLE idea.) Ridiculous. Ignore such unfounded information from an obviously uninformed and inexperienced GIRL. Mutual oral sex is a normal part of a normal sex life, and worrying about things like this is not worth the trouble. Focus on perfecting your technique and learning new things.
As long as you are clean, and uninfected “taste” plays little role in whether or not you get him to Go South. Adult men will Go South if you give head for them. Selfish little boy/men are afraid of dark, sticky, gooey places and are best left alone to masturbate.
As for the girl who “does know how” to eat asparagus (which my the way, doesn’t make your Yoni taste particularly sweet, it often makes it taste similarly to asparagus pee, kinda funky, however, if you are an adult, WHO CARES?) To eat asparagus, you steam it, butter, salt and cover it with balsamic vinegar (now here is the important part) and then put it in your mouth and chew it and swallow it. See? That was easy. You can omit the balsamic vinegar if you like. ALL other vegetables follow the same ritual, cook (or eat raw) put salt or other seasoning on it, bite or cut, chew and swallow. Now, wasn’t that easy? Vegetables are NOT difficult to “eat.” Really. You may also want to borrow a copy of “The Joy of Cooking” from the library, and get some ideas on how to cook foods other than the few you mentioned. EXPAND YOUR HORIZONS, please.
My boyfriend and I just noticed the other day that I taste different. More acidic/sour. Typically I taste like salty honey, or so he says. I am about to start my period so I’m guessing that the change in taste is due to the hormonal changes of my period that’s about to start. I’m hoping that this will go back to normal after my period because he tells me alllll the time how much he loves the way I taste and that he misses it 🙁 It’s not offensive and I don’t have an odor, but I definitely have more of a taste that reminds me closest of vinegar (on a much lesser scale)
Hi,
I have noticed my vagina changes taste regularly and smell. I notice if i am feeling bad about myself or have been sitting around worrying, my vagina will have a very offensive smell even after a shower. If I have been busy with other things and feel very positive about myself and beautiful i will have no odour and little taste.
Kind regards
Women’s vaginal pH needs to be a bit acidic to keep yeast at bay. The water, fruits, and veggies is really good but don’t forget to eat yogurt or take acidophilus regularly, especially if you take medications, particularly anti-biotics. Acidophilus supplements are in most big supermarkets and health food stores – aim for the ones that don’t require refrigeration … it gets to be a pain if you travel a lot!
Hope that helps!