I’ve always had a ‘smell’ after a deposit has been made in my bank. I’ve always considered it a natural body chemistry thing I have.
I’ve had unprotected sex with two partners and they’ve both differed slightly. My ex left a very fishy whiff but my current partner is a lot milder. I also have a semen allergy which was far, far worse with my ex.
Over the years I’ve suffered many UTIs (I wasn’t emptying my bladder properly) so had many courses of antibiotics as I tend to get kidney infections if I don’t do something quickly. I’m very familiar with thrush as I almost always end up with a dose after antibiotics so I know the whiff is not related to thrush.
I’ve also had BV five times in the past 30 years. Now, that’s an unmistakable smell! The after-sex whiff is nothing like BV. Nothing is like BV! There seems to be no particular trigger for BV for me.
I eat a healthy gut diet and take probiotics and prebiotics but this doesn’t stop me getting thrush. However, I now know my triggers and unprotected sex isn’t one. The dreaded antibiotics are one and tampons are another. I’ve managed to prevent the tampon-related cases by smearing them with lube before insertion. This has been very helpful for me as my flow is unpredictable so I may end up stopping mid-period for several hours which would have allowed my tampon to dry out if I hadn’t used lube first.
I also manage BV myself by curling my finger inside my and pulling the discharge out then wiping my finger in loo roll and flushing it away (as fast as possible!). This cuts the time I have it to a few days. I have friends that have tried other remedies from the GP of pharmacy but theirs lasts a lot longer. The first time I had it I think it lasted about a week then went on its own.
I worked for a while in a GUM clinic and most of the doctors there feel that BV isjust one of those things that’s best left to the course of nature though the two lady doctors I talked to about it thought my ‘method’ of clearing a great idea and subsequently tried it themselves. They also started recommending lubing tampons to women with repeat thrush infections.
Working at the GUM clinic also gave me the opportunity to get tested whenever I needed it so I know the after-sex whiff isn’t caused by an infection. I wish I’d thought to ask about it now.
Honestly, @BluePup, I don’t think you have a problem. I think it’s just a case of your body chemistry reacting with his semen, especially as you’ve been tested. If you really hate it you could either try a different lube (assuming you use one) or use something like Pjur Med’s Cleanser spray (sold here). I use it to help prevent UTIs and combined with double-voiding my bladder I’ve cut my UTIs from 12-14 a year to once every 2-3 years. You could also try the finger curling removal method to get the semen out quicker but I’ve never tried this myself.
Despite my history, I’ve never had a problem with shower gels or soaps triggering anything (though I haven’t used a bar soap in the shower for years). I know the clinic would recommend washing in plain water or using aqueous cream to wash with but one of the GPs - a farmer’s daughter - was a huge fan of Gold Label Udder cream for any undercarriage issues. Since getting a bit sore after menopause I will admit to trying it and finding it fab for both washing with and moisturising the area but if you’re a bit reluctant to try this I’d suggest the Megs Menopause wash and moisturiser (sold here), though I’ve not tried it (yet). I’ve tried the water-based lube, though and found that fab.
Good luck and try not to stress. If you don’t get a whiff when you use a condom I’d pretty much bet my toy collection that getting a whiff when you don’t use one is just your body chemistry.