Alluring, Enthralling or Appalling? Scent & Sex
Scent and Sex is an oft dismissed topic. Like many aspects of sex, this one has also had much unwarranted stigma hastily chucked it’s way. Why? After all, our senses are intricately entwined in order to give us the best experiences the world has to offer and sex can certainly be one of those full-body fun times!
So today, let’s talk about SEX…and SMELL.
Get a Whiff of This!
Smell and sex are intricately linked. Anyone who has lusted after a hottie from far only to be repelled the second they got close enough to catch a whiff of that particular person’s personal pungency can attest to that. Sometimes it’s their soap. Sometimes it’s their washing habits. Sometimes it’s just something you can’t quite put your finger on, but your nose can. There’s a lot of research out there that suggests that scent is as much a part of attraction as other factors. This is called “multimodal perception” and it basically means that humans are big ol’ complex monkeys who experience several factors that contribute to attraction.
Science is still pondering how much pheromones have to do with this, but everyone agrees; the way someone smells is definitely something our brains and bodies are attuned to.
But What if Something’s….Off?
Human bodies naturally have smells. Anyone who’s trying to tell you otherwise is either a perfumer or a deodorant salesman. Genitals are no exception! So if you’re getting down and a vagina smells like, well, a vagina, that is totally normal. And c’mon, vaginas get enough hate from our society. Give them a break and let them be their fabulous, odorous selves.
That being said, scent can also be a good indicator that something is wrong with the body. It is vital to pay attention to your natural genital odors so you know when something is off and you can get to a physician. For example; the aforementioned vag is going to have it’s natural vagina-y scent.
However, if you start smelling something that’s literally fishy, you may have an infection called bacterial vaginosis. BV is common enough that it’s typically fairly easy to treat, but the sooner you get it addressed the better!
It’s not just vaginas that can get infections though. Certain STIs can cause discharge from the penis and that discharge occasionally has it’s own odor. While gonorrhea and chlamydia typically do NOT have symptoms, discharge and/or a change in odor can happen. Like a lot of STIs, these two are also usually no big deal if caught sooner rather than later and can be cured with a round of antibiotic treatment.
Other smelly capers can occur while having sexy fun times. If you’re going to explore that other cave of wonders; the anal cavity, you’ll want to prepare well to avoid smellier outcomes. Always remember; the butthole is where the poop comes out. While no one should feel ashamed about anal sex, avoiding fecal matter prevents less titillating scents and bad bacteria from getting into places it doesn’t belong.
No matter what, scent is a huge part of human sexuality and we hope everyone nose that’s okay! *bad dum tis*
Tips for Supremely Sumptuous Smelling Sex
•Maintain regular washing of your body
•Let the vagina clean itself with NO douching or soap
•Ensure any skin folds on the body are regularly cleaned
•Get familiar with the typical smells of your body including the genitals
•Get to a physician ASAP if personal genital odor is off
•Remember that everyone has different scent preferences and if you don’t jive with each other smells, be honest and don’t take it personally!