Why do women's private parts smell fishy?

Some young women have increased vaginal discharge, which often has a foul odor; after each sexual intercourse, the vagina also emits an unpleasant fishy odor. They are very anxious about this. What is the reason for the bad smell in the lower body? It turns out that bacterial vaginosis is the cause.

Bacterial vaginosis refers to a disease caused by the massive reproduction of multiple pathogenic bacteria in the vagina. It mainly leads to the imbalance of the vaginal ecological balance, putting the vagina in a pathological state. It is not called vaginitis but vaginosis because there is no inflammatory reaction in the vaginal mucosa and white blood cells are rarely detected in vaginal secretions. Therefore, it was officially named bacterial vaginosis by medical organizations in 1984.

The bacteria that cause bacterial vaginosis are mainly Gardnerella vaginalis. Gardnerella is anaerobic and can grow easily in the vagina. The growth temperature of Gardnerella is 25-40℃, and the optimal temperature for reproduction in the human body is 35-37℃. At pH 4.5, Gardnerella is not easy to grow, and at pH 4.0 it does not grow, which is consistent with the acidic environment in the vagina of healthy women of reproductive age. Since vaginal lactobacilli in the vagina of adult women can break down the glycogen contained in the vaginal epithelial cells into lactic acid, keeping the vaginal secretions acidic (pH 4-5), and the acidic environment is not conducive to the growth and reproduction of Gardnerella, even if 60% of healthy women carry vaginal Gardnerella, no clinical symptoms will appear.

Once the vaginal environment and acidity change, such as repeated vaginal douching, drug abuse, etc., Gardnerella and certain anaerobic bacteria will multiply in large numbers. It is reported that when suffering from bacterial vaginosis, Gardnerella and anaerobic bacteria are mixed in the patient's vagina, which increases 100 to 1000 times compared with the vagina of normal healthy women. After sexual intercourse, the alkaline semen (pH 7.2-7.5) enters the vagina, further promoting the growth and reproduction of Gardnerella and anaerobic bacteria, causing the release of a large amount of amine substances, so the vagina emits a corrupt fishy smell.

There are many ways to diagnose bacterial vaginosis. Doctors usually make a diagnosis based on the patient's symptoms: ① Increased vaginal discharge, grayish yellow, uniform and thin; ② Vaginal pH greater than 4.5; ③ Positive ammonia test: When vaginal discharge is mixed with 10% potassium hydroxide solution and a fishy odor is detected, it is positive; ④ More clue cells are found under a microscope. Clue cells are a type of exfoliated vaginal surface cell with jagged edges, which are caused by the absorption of a large number of bacteria on the edges.

The treatment of bacterial vaginosis currently adopts systemic or local treatment. Commonly used drugs are metronidazole (Flagyl) or clindamycin, and the cure rate is as high as about 90%. If a pregnant woman suffers from bacterial vaginosis, she should receive timely treatment under the guidance of a doctor, because bacterial vaginosis infection in pregnant women can cause premature birth, premature rupture of membranes, puerperal infection and neonatal infection.

Of course, it is very important to prevent bacterial vaginosis. Generally, the following measures can be taken:

1. Protect the vagina's self-defense function and maintain the vagina's acidic environment: Do not use medications in the vagina at will. If you must use medications, you should follow the doctor's prescription, otherwise it may make the situation worse; it is also not suitable to do vaginal douching frequently.

2. Pay attention to reproductive health concepts: do not use bathtubs or toilets in public places; do not wear tight, non-breathable pantyhose; do not have sex with multiple sexual partners.

3. Strengthen examinations during pregnancy: Routine examinations of vaginal secretions during pregnancy can help detect and treat the disease early, but pregnant women should not use vaginal medications to avoid premature birth.

4. For various surgeries within the uterine cavity , such as placement or removal of contraceptive rings, artificial abortion, etc., leucorrhea should be checked before surgery to exclude this disease. If you have already suffered from this disease, you should undergo surgery after recovery to avoid causing endometritis. In addition, it is best not to have sex before bacterial vaginosis is cured, otherwise the man should wear a condom to avoid aggravating the infection.