OOH, THAT SMELL – WHAT DOES SEX SMELL LIKE, ANYWAY?

You might be asking yourself, does sex have a smell? What does it smell like? Find out more about the sex smell by reading this article. 

Most people will agree that sex has a smell, and someone can detect when people have sex in a room. Specifying what sex smells like is where people draw the line. Sex’s smell is a combination of different smells. That’s what some people believe. But is it true? Read on to understand more about the smell of sex and the scientific explanation. 

What Does Sex Smell Like?

The following are some of the things that sex smells like:

Sweat 

It is normal for people to sweat when having sex. The sweat smell fills the room. However, some people sweat more during sex compared to others. According to Mitro et al. (2012), the intensity of the sweat smell differs from person to person. You will notice this if you have worked minutes before having sex. Men's and women's sex contains a variety of elements. 

Body Odor 

A certain body odor is left when sweat dries off without being washed with soap and water. If none of the partners showered after having sex, the smell might be worse and hard to bear. Some body parts such as the butt and the testicles normally smell weird. Therefore, it is best to scrab these areas after having sex to avoid the weird smells. Overweight people have a strong body scent even if they clean themselves after sex, as illustrated by Keller et al. (2012). Moreover, there is a cheesy and funky smell that develops due to the folding of tissues or body fats in areas such as the belly button and vulva. You are advised to clean with water and soap before sex to eliminate the scent. 

Fecal Matter 

This is rather an extension of the previous statement. Most men do not scrub their butt holes or the balls. You are likely to meet the smell when you are going down on him to give a blow job. The smell might be weird if it is a combination of sweat, fecal matter, and the balls.

You are also at risk of encountering such a smell if you are going down for anal sex. Therefore, people are always advised to douche their butt holes before having anal sex, as Taormino (2006) recommended. However, no matter how thoroughly you clean the butt hole, some fecal smell will linger in the vicinity. 

Blood Or Metal

If you have sex while on monthly periods, there is a possibility of a metal smell. Although the smell is not pleasant, it is normal, and there is no harm. 

Ejaculate 

When a man and a woman have sex, they produce some fluids after climaxing. According to Whipple (2014), ejaculation is the release of fluid from the urethra when one climaxes. If your partner comes to you and licks the genitals, they are likely to find a salty taste. Some people describe this scent as meaty. Ejaculate tastes and smells differently according to a person's health and body composition. For instance, if a man is dehydrated, his ejaculate will not have any pleasant taste. However, since a man’s ejaculate is alkaline, it will have a specific taste and smell. When the man’s ejaculate enters the vagina, a distinguishing sex musk is expected since the vaginal environment is acidic. 

Rubber 

If partners engage in sex using latex condoms, the scent will prevail in the atmosphere. However, not all condoms are made of latex. The alternative is to use female condoms that are made of nitrile. 

Fish

Your vagina should not smell like fish, and neither should sex. However, if the smell is what prevails in the air, you probably have a bacterial infection called bacterial vaginosis, as explained by Livengood III (2009). 

Sometimes sex might smell like a combination of all these smells. For that reason, it is near impossible to distinguish the sex smell. Sex smell is unique depending on the partner you have sex with. Moreover, sex smell will be different depending on the day. For example, sex smell will be more potent during summer than in winter.  

The Bottom Line 

Sex smells, and you cannot avoid it regardless of your precautions. You can clear your atmosphere from having a weird sex smell by burning scented candles. Use flavored or scented massage oils and burn some incense. Sometimes sex might have a combination of different smells. For that reason, it is near impossible to distinguish the sex smell. Additionally, the chemistry in which a body mixes with another partner is different, which calls for the different-sex smell.

References

Mitro, S., Gordon, A. R., Olsson, M. J., & Lundström, J. N. (2012). The smell of age: perception and discrimination of body odors of different ages. PloS one, 7(5), e38110.

Keller, A., Hempstead, M., Gomez, I. A., Gilbert, A. N., & Vosshall, L. B. (2012). An olfactory demography of a diverse metropolitan population. BMC neuroscience, 13(1), 1-17.

Taormino, T. (2006). The ultimate guide to anal sex for women. San Francisco: Cleis Press.

Whipple, B. (2014). Ejaculation, female. The International Encyclopedia of Human Sexuality, 1-4.

Livengood III, C. H. (2009). Bacterial vaginosis: an overview for 2009. Reviews in obstetrics and Gynecology, 2(1), 28.