What can cause a strong vaginal odor just before starting period?

I also have this entire issue you just explained I cant believe another women has this I went to the doctor several times for this and had cultures done and they all came back negative. My doctor suggested I just come in when I smelled it I did and he did another culture and still nothing he even sniffed my vagina and claimed he didnt find this smell alarming but I do!!! you got me wondering about that cancer bit because I have had HPV in the past but now I get checked for that regulary and for the most part all my gyno’s tell me the smell is normal.. like you I have no itching no nothing but I do have cyst on my ovaries so I don’t know if that has anything to do with it or not.maybe its a long term side effect of birth control I was on them for 15 years and had all these issues after I got off them.

Nelson, my mom is old fashioned and very superstitious, so she thought it was the birth control too. And now that you mentioned it, I was off the BCP and then on again for like a month or so and during the 2 months that I was taking the BCP I didn’t notice a smell during my period. I guess it could make sense if you’ve been on it for a while–maybe your body has gotten use to the balance created by the BCP??? I’m really not sure though, which is why I’m going to the doctor in a couple of weeks. I just hope they don’t say what your doctors said, b/c I really don’t like not knowing what the problem is… b/c then I can’t fix it!

The only other thing I can think of, would be a tampon stuck in me that I forgot, but I don’t see anything and neither does my boyfriend…