I Can Smell Myself Through My Pants: Why, And What To Do About It?

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Is It Normal to Smell Myself Through My Pants?Medically reviewed by Barry I Aron, MD, FACOG, MSCP — Written by Rachel Nall, MSN, CRNA — Updated on June 13, 2025

General odor
Vaginal odor
Penile odor
Takeaway

While a temporary smell right before it’s shower time is common, a lingering smell so strong you can smell it through your pants could indicate an infection or other underlying condition.

Your body is full of weird and wonderful surprises. Some of them may be smelly.

Keep reading for some of the reasons why you may smell yourself through your pants and ways to treat any underlying condition.

What can cause a strong overall odor?

Diet

Eating some foods can temporarily affect the way your body smells, including the smell of your sweat or urine. For example:

asparagus
garlic
onion
chili
vinegar
marinated fish
fermented milk products

Sweat

Sweating in the groin area can attract fungus and bacteria, leading to an unusual smell. Showering after exercise or vigorous activity — including masturbation or partner sex — can help.

Putting on clean, dry clothes after a sweat session can also have a positive impact. Avoid tight-fitting clothes, which will make you sweat more.

Medication side effects

Some medications may increase the body’s likelihood to sweat, such as:

duloxetine hydrochloride (Cymbalta)
escitalopram oxalate (Lexapro)
paroxetine hydrochloride (Paxil)
sertraline hydrochloride (Zoloft)

Incontinence

Accidental leakage can buildup on your underwear or skin, leading to a smelly groin.

Good hygiene practices, such as changing soiled underwear as soon as possible and washing with soap and warm water, can help.

Yeast infection

Yeast infections can cause a bread-like smell in the groin area as well as unusual discharge, itching, redness, and skin irritation.

Treatments may include topical antifungal ointments or oral antifungal medications. If you have recurrent infections, consider making an appointment with a healthcare professional to discuss prescription medication.

Urinary tract infection (UTI)

UTIs occur when excess bacteria invade the urinary tract. In addition to an unusual odor, symptoms can include:

frequent urge to urinate
painful urination
side pain
nausea

Although over-the-counter medications can help reduce pain, prescription antibiotics are necessary to clear the infection.

What can cause a strong vulvar or vaginal odor?

Stuck tampon

Sometimes, an inserted tampon can turn sideways or the tampon string can move up into the vaginal canal. As a result, you may forget about the tampon or have such difficulty removing it that it remains there for longer than intended.

Symptoms of a stuck tampon include:

discolored, foul-smelling discharge
painful urination
swelling around the vaginal opening
fever

A retained tampon can cause serious complications, including an illness known as toxic shock syndrome. To keep this from happening, remove the tampon with clean hands as quickly as possible.

Bacterial vaginosis (BV)

BV occurs due to an overgrowth of bacteria. Symptoms include:

strong odor that may be described as “fishy”
unusual or excessive gray or white discharge
itching and burning

Although the condition may clear up on its own for some people, prescription medication can help alleviate symptoms sooner rather than later.

Trichomoniasis

Trichomoniasis is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI). It’s often asymptomatic, meaning many people do not experience symptoms.

When symptoms do occur, they can include:

unusual or fishy odor
frothy, pink discharge
painful urination

Treatments include antifungal medications, such as metronidazole.

Hormonal fluctuations

Hormonal changes due to menopause can lead to the thinning of vaginal tissues, which can affect the pH balance in the vagina. This can cause an unusual, acidic smell.

While the smell doesn’t necessarily require treatment, healthcare professionals can treat menopause-related vaginal atrophy with topical or oral hormones.

Rectovaginal fistula

A rectovaginal fistula is an abnormal connection between the rectum and vagina that causes stool and other bowel contents to leak into the vaginal canal.

The most common cause is trauma related to childbirth that causes a third or fourth degree vaginal tear. However, a history of surgical procedures, Crohn’s disease, or cancer can also cause the condition.

Symptoms include:

smell of intestinal gas coming from the vagina
unusual or unexpected bleeding
passage of stool through the vagina

Treating the underlying condition or surgical correction can help alleviate your symptoms.

What can cause a strong penile odor?

Smegma

Smegma occurs when dead skin cells, fluids, and oils build up around the head of the penis. It’s more common in people who have an uncircumcised penis, as the area under the foreskin can trap bacteria and debris.

Thoroughly cleaning the area with soap and warm water is usually all that’s needed to remove smegma. If left untreated, smegma can lead to balanitis.

Balanitis

Balanitis is an inflammatory condition that affects the head of the penis. It may result from inadequate hygiene, contact with an irritant, or an infection.

Depending on the underlying cause, symptoms may include:

foul-smelling discharge
tight-appearing foreskin
itching
pain

Treatments for balanitis include topical creams to reduce inflammation and itching, and antibiotics or antifungals to treat an infection.

The bottom line

Smelling yourself through your pants is rarely a medical emergency, but it’s also not typical.

If you’ve bathed recently and are wearing clean, dry clothing, consider making an appointment with a healthcare professional to discuss your symptoms.

Seek immediate medical attention if you develop an unusual groin odor during pregnancy or experience:

fever greater than 101.5°F (38.6°C)
difficulty urinating
persistent pain

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

About trichomoniasis [Fact sheet]. (2025).https://www.cdc.gov/trichomoniasis/about/index.html
Chung, JM, et al. (2019). Microbiology of smegma: prospective comparative control study.https://synapse.koreamed.org/articles/1117005
Havlicek J, et al. (2006). The effect of meat consumption on body odor attractiveness.https://academic.oup.com/chemse/article-abstract/31/8/747/364338
Horner PJ, et al. (2016). 2016 European guideline on the management of non-gonococcal urethritis.https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956462416648585
Leslie SW, et al. (2025). Fournier gangrene.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK549821/
Lina G, et al. (2020). Association of characteristics of tampon use with menstrual toxic shock syndrome in France.https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3514661
Symptoms of cervical cancer. (2024).https://www.cdc.gov/cervical-cancer/symptoms/
Tuma F, et al. (2023). Rectovaginal fistula.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK535350/
Wray AA, et al. (2024). Balanitis.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537143/

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Medically reviewed by Barry I Aron, MD, FACOG, MSCP — Written by Rachel Nall, MSN, CRNA — Updated on June 13, 2025

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