Men’s penises can sometimes have a funky smell, especially if they’re uncircumcised and prone to skin cell buildup or an infection like chlamydia. The odor can also be a sign of a urinary tract infection, or UTI, which has a distinctive fishy scent.
A bad odor in the groin can also indicate an STI such as herpes. Treatment can include oral medications such as Rocephin and antibiotics.
Causes
The groin is a warm, humid incubator for unpleasant smells. Sweat and the natural bacteria that live on your body all contribute to a bad odor in the groin. A man’s groin may also smell when he has a yeast infection or urinary tract infection (UTI).
If your penis always smell, it might be due to a build-up of a white, cheesy-looking substance called smegma. It forms around the head of your penis and under your foreskin, explains the NHS. Washing your penis with soap and water daily helps to remove smegma and stop it from smelling.
An STI, such as chlamydia or gonorrhea, may cause your penis to have a strong, fishy smell. It’s important to see a doctor for an STI test and treatment as soon as possible.
A UTI, which causes a foul-smelling urine, can lead to a smelly penis because it affects the urethra and bladder. UTIs can be caused by bacterial infections, such as Escherichia coli, or by nonbacterial causes, such as a swollen prostate or kidney stones.
If your groin smells bad, but you have clean clothes and regular showers, it might be an indicator of a yeast or bacterial infection. You should talk to a doctor about getting a skin swab culture to find out the source of the problem.
Treatment
The groin is warm, humid and tucked under clothing, so it’s no surprise that it can harbor unpleasant smells. But if the odor is strong and persistent, it may be a sign of a sexually transmitted infection (STI) like yeast or gonorrhea.
Yeast infections — also called thrush — cause a foul-smelling, moldy smell. They develop when Candida fungus grows out of control on the head of your penis. This condition affects both uncircumcised and circumcised men. It can be spread by not washing your glans enough or by having unprotected sex. Your doctor can prescribe medication to help clear the fungus, such as oral antifungals or creams.
A recurrent urinary tract infection, or UTI, can also make your dick and balls smell bad. A UTI occurs when bacteria or a virus infects part of your urinary tract. A fishy odor may be one of the symptoms, along with a burning sensation when you pee and urination that’s cloudy or pinkish in color. Your doctor will prescribe antibiotics to treat the infection.
Some men and people assigned male at birth have a permanent odor around the groin area because of a condition called paraphimosis, which causes your foreskin to get trapped behind your penis. A simple solution is to wash your dick and balls with soap and water daily, as well as to retract the foreskin occasionally.
Prevention
Men can take care of a smelly penis by washing regularly with soap and water. They should also avoid wearing tight pants or underwear in the groin area, which can trap sweat and cause odor. It’s also important to dry off the penis after a shower or bath.
If the odor can’t be washed away, it may be a sign of an infection or STI. A yeast or bacterial infection can be treated with oral medicine, such as a antibiotic like Zithromax or Monodox. A urethra infection can be treated with a Rocephin injection or over-the-counter antibiotics. A Chlamydia infection, which is spread through anal or vaginal sex, can be prevented by using condoms during sex and never sharing sex toys.
The groin area has sebaceous glands and apocrine glands that produce oil and sweat, which can give off a strong smell. But most smelly genitals are due to poor hygiene, an STI, or a smegma buildup. A stinky dick or balls can be embarrassing, but it’s unlikely to pose any health risks for your partner during sex. A smelly penis should not interfere with sexual satisfaction, but if the odor is a problem for you, it’s important to visit your doctor for treatment or advice. Don’t stop taking your medication, even if you feel better. This can cause the infection to return and get worse.
Checklist
There are a few things a man can do to help keep his dick in good working order. First, he should wash it whenever possible. This doesn’t mean that he should wash it every time he pees or wipes the area down, but he should give the penis a good rinse and scrub at least once each day. He should also wash underneath the foreskin, if he is uncircumcised, to avoid bacteria and yeast buildup.
He should also try to avoid smoking, drinking excessively or eating a diet that includes too much garlic and junk food. These are all known to cause odor and even bad breath in some people. Finally, he should use a good penis health creme (health professionals recommend Man 1 Man Oil) that contains Vitamin A, also known as retinol, which is a natural antibacterial and can help fight the bacteria that causes stinky penis.
A smelling dick can be a bit of a turn off for some people, but it is usually not a sign of a serious problem and most of the time, a smelly dick does not pose any significant risks to sexual health during oral or full-on intercourse. However, a man should pay attention to any changes in the way his body smells and see a doctor as soon as possible if he thinks something is wrong.
