Smelly Groin In Males – What To Do?

It is often believed that non-circumcised men have inadequate genital hygiene which can make them more vulnerable to develop a variety of sexually transmitted infections and diseases. However, this is not always true. Research indicates that certain physical metrics and characteristics can tell a lot about the genital hygiene; one such physical characteristic is odor or smell; which may or may not be associated with a discharge. There are several reasons or explanations of smelly genital area; such as ongoing sexually transmitted infections, urinary tract infections, infrequent bathing/ cleaning, diarrhea etc.

But what if you don’t have any of the above risk factors? Research and clinical data indicates that some normal and absolutely healthy people can have smelly groins. Let’s see why and what can be done to address this issue!

What Makes The Groin Area Smelly?

Following factors often leads to the production of unpleasing and repelling odors in the groin area:

• The groin area is generally covered (hence not exposed to sun or air at all times).
• The groin is covered with multiple layers of clothing, making it more warm, damp and sweaty than most other parts of the human body.
• Just like underarms, the groin area is also naturally colonized with certain bacteria which contributes to the production of unwanted smell.
• Besides bacteria, groin is also richly supplied with certain glands (known as apocrine gland

• s) and their secretions are mixed with sweat and other body fluids. This can lead to the formation of obnoxious smell.
• Moreover, let’s not forget the release of urine and fecal matter from the near-by organs that can further lead to the foul smelling groins

Normally these smells go unnoticed but problem arises when a person engages in intimate relationships. It is possible that your partner may never complain about this unpleasant smell, but it doesn’t mean that your groin area is not smelly. Smelly groin or penis can have a really bad impact on your partner; it not only refrains your female partner from engaging in sexual intercourse with you but can also adversely impact the quality of relationships.

How To Prevent Or Get Rid Of That “Bad Odor”?

Men should develop a habit of keeping their pubic hair trimmed or extremely short at all times; because pubic hairs can trap sweat and bacteria. It has been observed that even with optimal genital hygiene, the risk of smelly groin in high if pubic hair are not properly trimmed. Other helpful tips are:

• Try to keep the pubic skin dry and cool.
• Develop a habit of frequently washing and drying your penis and groin area with soapy water on regular basis.
• Make sure you properly clean all the creases and folds with gentle scrubbing.
• Men who are not circumcised should also take care of the area beneath the foreskin. Use of anti-bacterial soap is usually a great help.
• Use of cotton clothes and undies also helps in reducing that reeky smell, as cotton is a breathable fabric.
• Men can also use deodorants on the inner side of scrotum to reduce the smell as much as possible, especially in mid summers when humidity is high.

Like said before, keeping the area damp leads to bad odor. Therefore, every time before dressing up, it is important to dry and brush off the groin area. If your groin area is dry at all times, the risk of developing body odor will be low. Keeping groin dried is even more important during summer season as humidity and sweat production is fairly high. Each time use dry and clean cloth for drying off your body, as damp cloth or towel may further promote the production of microorganisms. Use of a blow dryer can also be considered.

By adapting the above mentioned tips, most men can get rid of stinky odors and save their intimate relationships.

References

1. O'Farrell, N., Quigley, M., & Fox, P. (2005). Association between the intact foreskin and inferior standards of male genital hygiene behaviour: a cross-sectional study. International journal of STD & AIDS, 16(8), 556-559.

2. Badran, Y. A., El-Kashef, T. A., Abdelaziz, A. S., & Ali, M. M. (2015). Impact of genital hygiene and sexual activity on urinary tract infection during pregnancy. Urology annals, 7(4), 478.

3. Tüzün, Y., Wolf, R., Engin, B., Keçici, A. S., & Kutlubay, Z. (2015). Bacterial infections of the folds (intertriginous areas). Clinics in dermatology, 33(4), 420-428.