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
That’s all past history though.but nowthe discharge is back n the so very awful smell!I’m so depressed about this!my fiance has been fighting yeast infections also but he’s diabetic
Well I’ve beeen batling yeast infections,pid,uti,bad odor,and greendischarge4rm my vajajay!and it never goes away!
Drink 8-10 glasses of water daily with freshly squeezed lemon. Lemons flush out toxins in your bladder and also reduce cellulite. Science has proven it. However, this should be done in conjunction with a diet less in red meats, higher in veggies and fruits.
yeah, i tasted my girlfriend 12/22/10
she tasted really sour, im not an expert on this kinda stuf, cause she was the second girl ive tasted in my entire life, is it normal for her to tast sour, it tastes like a sour apple…but i dont know, some one please help me here
I have been trying to find info on this issue for weeks, I am so glad to have stumbled across this post and all these great comments. Tomorrow will be day one of putting some of these suggestions into play in my life!
I do belive that a healthy diet can produce a more pleasant taste, smell in the vagina. A couple of years back I exercised regularly, ate plain fat free yogurt just about everyday, fruit ( a lot of cantaloupe & pineapple), cut out sodas and bad sugar products, drink a lot of water. I lived that lifestyle for about 6 months or so, the guy I was dating would perform oral sex and would be amazed at how “sweet” I was and would bring it up a lot….Now my diet hasn’t been as great, and I can tell the difference. I will go back to the way I use to it and see if that was what caused the sweeter taste. =)
To Rarechiltney: how long before I see results with the acidopholis, water increase and dietary changes?
Simple and easy way to start smelling sweeter or having a less noticeable scent is to start Taking Acidophilus. I take that and i put yogurt in my smoothies. I also take cranberry capsules and drink lots of 100% cranberry juice no sugar added. I wash with a mild soap down there and I don’t drink alcohol or smoke and cut back on garlic and onions on days you want to have sex or any sexual activity. Also drink lots of water. that acidophilus and cranberry will help you maintain a healthy vagina ph levels and help prevent UTI’s. Also chlorophyll or Chlorella is great for reducing any body odor all over, its naturally high in B vitamins so you dont have to take the B supplements.
Um, have you ever thought about the fact that bitterness after showering might be due to soap residue?
Hurr durr.
I am 32 y/o woman.I have been always in long term relatinships.(clean)But I smoked since 17 and it is been almost 15 years.Eew!I hate myself on this part.But I finally stopt.When I was younger like before 28,I was OK.I was healthy and my system was stronger and recover faster.I didnt have problem.But I turned 30 and it all started.I had vaginal dryness,white discharge,very sour taste.I tryed everything from CVS counter med to Doctor prescribed drug.Didnt work,and came back in few days.I almost gave up on sex:):)It affected my life 3 years.Aaah!!!!
Than I noticed when I DONT coffee tea soda all thoese caffiene filled drink,and smoke less or dont smoke my VJ feels great.But when I drink starbucks coffee and smoke it was back.This is my real life expierence.I didn’t know I suffered last 3 years.Almost no sex,I stopt him to go down there!!! But now I know,I CANT HAVE CAFFIENE AND NICOTINE.my body is sensetive to it!!!IT is not only me.It is our body GIRLS!!!IF you have sour taste and white discharge and V dryness Stop smoking and drinking caffiene.These put stress on our adrenial glands and triggers everthing….poor immune system and yeast or ….it will go on….Just plz stop smoking and drinking caffeine.See the difference! Good luck
Yeahh my gf normally tastes sweet but recently shes been out drinking (two consecutive weekends + we had a party mid week haha) and it tastes sour now, i was worried but i guess its just 1 of those things
Come on, the real distinct taste comes from Nicotene or Alcohol.
From there you fight lack of sex or lack of hygene.
No one wants to here is but there it is.
A clean, non smoking virgin who washes daily is sweet to the pallet. This I know from personal exsperiance and a number of trials.
Anyone trying to argue is not washing or has an area of pubic hair the size of central park and sweats like George Forman on Weigh in day.
My boyfriend said i tasted sour. thats bad right. what should i do?
Since I’ve started receiving oral sex 10 years ago, I loved to kiss the guys afterward and was always pleased with the fresh mouth taste and breath. HOWEVER, beginning 4 years ago something down there went crazy. I have no std’s. Never have. No infections. If I taste myself, I taste fine. But when my boyfriend goes down on me, he has this insane indescribable breath thats not necessarily bad just so strange that is overpowering. And I get the same breath when I kiss him after oral sex. And he absolutely never ever has bad breath. It has been like this for 4 years straight. It wasn’t like this the first 6 months of the relationship. I feel like I introduced an unpleasant bacteria that is here to stay. Anyone else notice some crazy powerful breath on the person that just went down on you? yikes!
i’ve always been self-conscious about my lady parts, but i refrain from doing anything that seems like it carries more risks than benefits. (i.e. douching, vaginal deodorants, etc- & who wants a vajayjay that smells like a “spring meadow” anyway? somehow i doubt most men would find the taste of “tropical breeze” a turn-on.)
i try to focus on keeping things healthy & balanced without interfering too much, but here’s what i’ve found: antihistamines & caffeine can make me taste unpleasantly tangy & bitter. now i’m really wondering if vitamin C can do the same! omega 3 supplements can cause a mildly fishy odor; get the enteric coated ones.
using a spermicide is horribly harsh on my lady parts; i get a nasty infection every time i use one! (forget about fish, that kind of stank is worse than low-tide!) even commercial lubrication can effect the way i taste for days afterwards. i think both of these have to do with pH balance & that kind of thing.
speaking of pH balance- SEMEN can also really effect the way i smell/taste/etc. again, i think this has to do with pH.
one thing i have tried that seems to help is yogurt- eating it, taking acidophillus supplements- and also putting it inside. a few spoonfuls of PLAIN, no flavors, no sugar added, no nasty chemicals yogurt in the vagina can be really soothing for unbalanced lady parts. {this isn’t medically endorsed, and it’s not a cure for anything. if you think you have an infection, go to the doctor!!! }
things i am going to try in the future include supplements recommended for treating body odor (if it can help body odor, it can help other kinds of odors/tastes, right?) which include B vitamins (i just started taking a B vitamin complex,) as well as zinc. also, chlorophyl supplements & parsley supplements are supposed to help treat body odor as well. i haven’t tested any of these things, although i will be in the future.
i’ve also heard great things about pineapple, but i’m not too fond of the stuff, so i haven’t tested it.
if all else fails, maybe i’ll try this new “vajazzling” trend. my bf will be too distracted by glittering rhinestones to notice any funky smells/tastes! (::rolls eyes:: just kidding!)