I think I have BV but I can't smell it myself

Posted , 6 users are following.

Hi, I am so glad I found this forum because I have been feeling like an outcast lately. I'm an 18 year old girl and a virgin. I was wondering if it's possible to give off a fishy smell like that of BV without being able to smell it yourself?

Ever since I was about 12, I started to get people telling me that I smelled like fish. The first time I was told that was indirectly when I was speaking to my mom in Chinese, and I guess the salesgirl next to us assumed we couldn't speak English and told her friend who was next to her that I smelled fishy. I did not take that seriously because I knew I didn't smell. 

In high school people have made comments saying that I smelled. In PE we were choosing team members, and a guy said "Don't choose her, her vagina smells bad." 

Sometimes when I go out I hear people say things like "It smells like salmon," or "Ew it smells like fish."

When I am on my period especially I get people around me sniffing and looking at my crotch. People sniff a lot around me in general but it's worse when I'm on my period. 

It seems like it's just bullying and paranoia at this point, but I've had teachers make comments too. When I left my Spanish classroom after speaking with my teacher, I heard my teacher tell her friend that I smelled like fish. The next day she told the whole class (not directing it at me of course) that it's important to wash and be clean down there or else it will "start to smell." 

That was when I really started to believe that I smelled. My friends say no but they are not close to me (my best friend left me and I haven't gotten a new close friend since). I've been checked at the doctor's for a yeast infection a while back (she took a long q-tip and took a sample and it came back positive for a yeast infection). However she did not make any comments on a smell. At the time I had a yeast infection however, I could smell it--it definitely had a smell, not fishy but kind of like bread? and the discharge was cheesy. 

Thanks so much for listening. This has taken a huge toll on my confidence and makes me not want to go out and interact with people. It's nice to know there's a forum for everything cheesygrin

1 like, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • Posted

    Also, I forgot to mention that I asked my doctor if I could get tested for BV as well while getting tested for a yeast infection, and she asked if if I've ever had sex. I said no, then she asked me" Then why are you worried about BV if you've never had sex?"

    Also my discharge seems normal, I'm not sure. It's white and gets thick sometimes. Definitely noticed a difference with that yeast infection though. 

  • Posted

    You don't have to be sexually active to get BV.  Tell your doctor everything, especially about the fishy smell.  Read some other posts here about BV. There are home treatments to try.  Good luck!  
  • Posted

    Hello!! I had BV at a young age myself and you don't have to have BV from not being a virgin. It can come from colored underwear, soap, your diet being poor...anything almost. That doctor was being lazy and probably just trying to get to her next patient. I am 32 yrs old now and still have problems with BV...now only because I believe "intercourse." The medication works for short periods of time and BV comes back after having intercourse. So I have been trying something different. I sowk a tampond in 50% peroxide and 50% water...works wonders!!! Have to do it once a day for about a week.
  • Posted

    Hi,

    I suggest you take Cipro 500mg. It is very effective medicine to treat bacterial infections. I hope it helps you to get rid from this situation.

  • Posted

    I’m 19 and I’ve been going through the exact same thing. I’ve seen two doctors about the same issue and nothing seems to work. I’ve tried a lot of home remedies and the only things that seemed to work is using hydrogen peroxide and boric acid capsules that I make myself. However, these don’t seem to be long term solutions as they only work while I’m using them. I’m honestly at wits end trying to find out what’s wrong with me. It’s been 2 or 3 years since I’ve noticed this problem and it’s been crippling. I have no friends and literally everyone just avoids me because of it. It’s insane that we have to go through this.

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