Why does my penis smell?

Poor hygiene is the most likely cause of penis odour, particularly in uncircumcised men.

If you do not regularly wash the penis and under the foreskin, this allows bacteria, dead skin, residual urine and oils to build up. This can lead to an unpleasant odour.

It’s therefore important to wash your penis thoroughly and frequently. This is because it can cause a build-up of:

• Smegma - It is a natural substance made up of skin cells, oils and other fluids. It looks like a white or yellowish cheesy substance that collects under the foreskin. A build-up of smegma can cause a fishy smell.
• Sweat - Your groin is more prone to sweat because it has more apocrine glands. These glands produce a thicker, muskier type of sweat. Bacteria love to feed on this sweat, which can result in foul smells.

How to fix poor hygiene

You can improve your hygiene with some simple self-help tips.

Keeping your genital area clean is the best way to prevent any unwanted odours. Wash the penis and under the foreskin with warm, soapy water then dry it thoroughly.

Dr. Caroline Fontana Lead Prescribing Doctor

Wash your penis thoroughly

• You should wash your penis and genital area thoroughly and regularly.
• If you are uncircumcised, you should wash under your foreskin to prevent a build-up of smegma, bacteria and sweat.
• Make sure you dry it afterwards by patting it dry.

Wear loose-fitting clothes

• Try to wear loose-fitting and more breathable clothes.
• This will help reduce any bacterial or fungal growth and will stop your penis smelling.

Wash after exercise

• You should shower as soon as possible after you exercise, as you sweat more.
• This will help to prevent a build-up of sweat

Your groin is more prone to bacteria. It is a warm, moist area where bacteria thrive. While most bacteria is harmless, some can cause infections.

A build-up of bad bacteria in the groin can cause balanitis, a condition that causes inflammation of the penis head. It affects 1 in every 30 uncircumcised men in their lifetime.

Balanitis causes symptoms such as:

• pain while peeing
• bleeding around your foreskin
• difficulty pulling back the foreskin
• a thick discharge under the foreskin

If a thick discharge develops, it can cause a foul odour. This could be what’s causing penile odour.

If the doctor finds the cause to be bacterial, they can prescribe antibiotics. However, you can also prevent future infections by practising good hygiene.

The groin is also the perfect breeding ground for fungus. This is because it is a warm and moist area, which makes it more prone to fungal infections.

The most common fungal infection is male thrush, or candida balanitis, which is caused by an overgrowth of the candida fungus. This can happen due to improper hygiene, harsh soaps, or not drying yourself fully. It can also be transmitted from intercourse with a woman with vaginal thrush.

Symptoms of male thrush include:

• itching and irritation
• redness
• scaly skin
• difficulty pulling back the foreskin
• white discharge

The discharge build-up can cause a foul smell.

How to treat male thrush

Thankfully, it is simple to treat with oral antifungal treatments like fluconazole (Diflucan). In some cases, your doctor may prescribe an antifungal cream.

You should also try and keep good hygiene and avoid products that irritate your genitals, such as overly scented soaps or bubble baths.

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are infections passed from person to person through unprotected sex.

STIs rarely cause symptoms, which is why they often go undetected. Chlamydia causes no symptoms in 50% of men.

Certain STIs can cause a strong smell, such as:

• chlamydia
• gonorrhoea
• non-specific urethritis
• trichomoniasis

You are also likely to experience itching, irritation, discharge or burning sensations while peeing.

How to treat an STI

If you have an STI, you will need to be tested for it. Sexual health clinics offer free and private testing options, or you can order a test kit to be sent to your home.

It’s important you test for STIs regularly if you have a new partner, or frequently change partners. It might feel embarrassing or uncomfortable, but it will help you get treatment quicker and prevent spreading STIs.

Dr. Caroline Fontana Lead Prescribing Doctor

Then, if you test positive, your doctor will prescribe you a course of antibiotics to treat the infection.

To prevent getting an STI, you should practice safe sex. You should:

• Get tested regularly - this will help you catch an STI early so you don’t spread it to anyone else, especially if you have multiple partners.
• Use barrier protection - use a barrier contraceptive like male or female condoms to significantly reduce the risk of STI transmission.

These measures will help you catch, treat and prevent STIs.

A urinary tract infection (UTI) occurs when the urethra becomes infected with bacteria. It is less common in men, but can be caused by using a catheter, an enlarged prostate or due to an STI.

UTIs can cause a fishy smell, but the more recognisable symptoms include:

• pain while peeing
• peeing more than usual
• cloudy or strong-smelling urine
• pain in the back or abdomen

Sometimes your body can heal a UTI on it own. However, in most cases, you will need a course of antibiotics to treat it.

Diabetes is characterised by high blood sugar levels due to an inability to produce enough insulin or use insulin effectively.

People with diabetes are more prone to fungal infections. This is because uncontrolled blood sugar levels promote fungal growth. This can make you more prone to male thrush.

Complications of diabetes can also change body odour. One complication of diabetes is diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), where harmful substances called ketones build up in the blood. It mainly occurs in people with type 1 diabetes, affecting up to 128 in every 1000 people with the disease.

DKA can cause your breath and skin to have a fruity or acetone-like smell. It can also cause a change in the smell of your sweat, which may indirectly affect the smell of your penis.

Other symptoms of DKA include:

• feeling thirsty
• needing to pee more often
• feeling sick
• diarrhoea
• blurred vision
• breathing more deeply than usual
• feeling tired, sleepy or confused

DKA can be a medical emergency and requires hospital treatment. If you experience any of these symptoms, you should seek emergency medical attention.

How to treat penis odour in diabetes

You can prevent odours if you have diabetes in 3 main ways:

1. Focus on good hygiene - this will help prevent fungal infections.
2. Manage your blood sugar - this will help to reduce infections and complications like DKA.
3. Speak to your doctor - if you are struggling to manage your blood sugar or you’re worried about your symptoms, you should speak to your doctor as soon as you can.

There are other potential causes of penis odour that are much less common. However, it’s good to know what to look out for just in case.

Skin conditions

Skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis or allergic skin reactions can affect the skin around your genitals. In some cases, they can cause balanitis.

This can cause symptoms such as inflammation, redness, irritation as well as a foul odour.

Prostatitis

Prostatitis is a condition characterised by an inflamed prostate gland, usually caused by an infection like a urinary tract infection (UTI).

If the cause is bacterial, it’s not uncommon to experience a foul-smelling discharge from the penis.

Certain foods

Some foods can affect your body odour, which may indirectly change the smell of your genitals. Smelly foods like garlic and fish are common culprits when it comes to changing body odour.

Certain medications

Medication can affect the smell downstairs in two main ways.

Some medicines, like antibiotics, can affect the natural balance of microorganisms on your skin. This can sometimes result in secondary infections like male thrush.

Other medications, like antidepressants, can affect how much you sweat. If you sweat more than usual, this may mean you smell different than usual.

You should check the side effects of any medication you take to see how it affects you.

Sometimes a specific kind of odour can indicate what the underlying issue is.

Fishy smell

Possible causes:

• smegma
• bacterial balanitis
• male thrush (candida balanitis)
• non-specific urethritis
• urinary tract infection (UTI)

Tip: Persistent itching and foul-smelling discharge could be a sign of an infection. Contact your doctor if you have these symptoms.

Vinegary smell

Possible causes:

• poor hygiene
• sweating

Tip: A vinegary smell usually means improper hygiene. Make sure you wash and dry yourself thoroughly and frequently.

Other smells

Possible causes:

• sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
• diabetes
• certain foods or medications

Most cases of penis odour can be treated with self-help measures and improve hygiene. However, you should visit the GP if:

• your symptoms don’t go away after trying self-help measures
• you have symptoms of a fungal or bacterial infection
• your symptoms are getting worse
• you have a high or very low temperature
• you have blood in your urine

If you experience any of these, it may be a sign that you have an infection that needs treating, such as an STI, UTI, male thrush or something else.

At euroClinix, you can order prescription treatment online for several causes of penis odour*. You can order treatment for male thrush and STIs like chlamydia, non-specific urethritis and trichomoniasis.

*All prescriptions are subject to medical approval.