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
My girl friend frequently has a sweet lime taste which I love. I’ve never observed this variation before with any other woman and I’m curious if others have the same experience. Her diet is your basic meat and potatoes so that is not the factor. Her heritage is Great Britain.
I usually go down on my girl when we are really into it or sometimes I do it just for fun, but a lot of times she tastes bitter. I don’t say anything about it but nowadays I am almost scared to go down… Could it have something to do with the cokes she consumes? Or the food? Which foods would be the best for her to taste sweeter? She was my first experience in oral sex and let’s just say it was not the best. Sometimes when were really into it she gets really and I do mean REALLY wet it smells so strong I try not to breathe. It is worst when we have blankets over us cause then all the smell goes up to our faces. The worst thing is I don’t know if she notices her strong smells sometimes. I try not to do faces but I feel like I do which is another reason why I am happy the light is closed. Could someone help please? I really wish my girl could taste sweet sometimes.
What you eat definitely DOES affect the taste. One time, about 4-5 hours after having a pizza, my bf went down on me. When he came up to kiss me, his mouth tastes EXACTLY like the really big spicy seeds in pepperoni. (He didn’t eat any of the pizza.)
Okay so my boyfriend likes going down on me and loves my tatse, but there has been two times now that he said I tatse funny. He doesn’t know how funny but funny. He knows I would NEVER cheat on him. Were madly inlove, but he is also a negative thinker and wonders if it could be another guy or a condom. I insure him there is NO possible way that could be true. So, why do I tatse different?
Thanks for the help! (:
I just fapped!
ive just noticed that my vagina has just started to taste a little sour. During intercourse my fiance does cum in me, when giving oral i do swallow sometimes, i also dont pay attention to what i eat, so could it be all the cum that goes through me+ my diet? what should/how i start to change things downunder
Interesting post!! I always thought that the change in vagina smell was due to an infection such as bacterial vaginosis. Never thought about the foods I ate. I will have to pay more attention on what I eat and if there is any kind of change.
my girlfriends vagina never smells bad untill she starts producing her juices what can she do to change that i cant really describe the smell but it is enough to make a man gag any ideals would be helpful thanks
Wow what an interesting topic! I think at the end of all the supplements, washes, routines, etc. the bottom line is whatever you put IN your body is what eventually will come out. Anything left over in the body that is not used will eventually turn toxic and give off smells/scents that can be unpleasant. My guys always says I have what he calls “sweet gold”, and yet I do drink wine at least once a week, I drink black and green teas (both containing caffeine) and I love things like garlic and onion. However I drink tons of water each day and I am big on multivitamins, which I think helps create the balance.
For all you ladies with a case of the ‘sour puss’, I would suggest a tea tree oil cleanse. Just buy a bottle of pure tea tree oil, and a bottle of olive oil or jojoba oil. Pour a little of the olive or jojoba oil on a tampon, then pour 3-4 drops of the tea tree oil over it. It will be strong. Insert the tampon as usual and wear for about 3-4 hours then remove. Tea tree oil is a natural antiseptic and is known for its healing, cleansing properties. This will help clear up any strange smells and just helps normalize the ph levels in that area.
And another thing ladies, lets not be so self conscious about how our puss is smelling. Just keep it clean!
My boyfriend says I taste amazing but when I tasted myself I can’t agree with him. it’s kind of bitter sweet and reminds me of the taste of a vitamine. XP yuck. You think he’s just tryin to boost my ego? lmao.
Anyways, I quit smoking about three months ago, and I never drink. I drink pineapple juice but it’s mixed with mango, and I drink cranberry juice and water, and add applecider vinegar to my water in the morning. I also take B vitamine complex daily. I try and eat plain yogurt but I skip a few days since it’s so awful. I can’t say that I eat bad, but I don’t really eat healthy either… I eat a lot of salt and butter but I hardly ever have fast food. I’m wondering if it could be the vitamine I’m taking that makes me taste so awful? Or maybe I’m just not into the taste..
I was wondering if it changes when you’re turned on too? I get really wet… like, extremely. I used to be really self conscience about it but my boyfriend goes crazy over it.. and I’m assuming it cleans out the bitterness?
My husband actually has comented about my taste. I just recently married and he told me that now that we are married I taste more bitter and sour. Idk if it’s because we have more intercourse now than before. Or it’s because he comes in me now. I do have on question. If my husband does ijaculate inside me. How long does it take for all of his “stuff” to leave my private part?
ok… sooooo I used to have yeast infection. but I finally defeated it with garlic supplements, lots of yogurt and acidopilus supplements.. However, I just tasted myself, and I tasted really sour. It’s been cold lately so I’ve been drinking alot of hot chocolate and less water.. that may be the reason. Im going to start eating pinneapple though and making sure i drink water.. Maybe ill even start working out.. I tell myself that every day though! lol! I hope my va jay jay tastes better in a week. I’ll have to see. If not.. Im gonna see about cutting meats.
Thankyou soo much for all the posts. They have really helped.
Just recently my boyfriend says I taste different. He used to say I tasted amazing. He used to go down on me all the time.
I’m not sure what I’m doing different, I have been working out more. But I take showers everyday.
Today, I decided to tast test myself and I tasted bitter when before I used to taste really sweet, and I used to be really wet. The when I started making love to my boyfriend my vag started changing smells and tastes. It was sweet up until quite lately, and now it tastes funny. I’ve never tasted so bitter and tangy.
It’s gross. And it makes me very self concious. I’m already shy of my body. But it just worries me. So Ive been trying to go to the doctor.
I’m taking all your different advice and I’m going to try them.
I have been eating chocolate more recently, and I had broccoli today.
I want to amaze my boyfriend not just by giving him oral and pleasing him during intercoarse, but my just the smell and taste of my vag. I want to be more appetizing to him ;P
Does anyone know of anything else that may help?
To anyone with smelly vagina your diet does have alot to do with the way you smell down there. I am a previous sufferer with yeast infections due to my diet eating alot of sweets and sodas. I have cut down on sodas and sweets and now drink lots of cranberry juice and take the acidophilus have notice less yeast problems and also use a mild unscented soap. Im married also and will tell you semen will affect the way you smell down there when my husband and I are intimate We either use protection or he will withdraw I have noticed a huge difference.
To any of the women with yeast problems: The only thing that made my chronic yeast infections stop (completely!!) was a low-carb diet. Just a thought. That might sound like an extreme solution, but after living with them for so long and doing everything right (I wore the right kind of underwear, had a healthy diet including lots of yogurt, cut out alcohol, took supplements such as garlic pills & acidophilus, etc.) it really wasn’t.