My question about work?

Question

I have alot of co-workers at my job and I work mostly with one of them, which is a female, and she will smell good like perfume or body lotion, and she's only a year younger than me, I'm 26 and she's 25, we both started working last July, and she almost always wears dresses, and she's very pretty, and model-like. There's one particular problem, this doesn't happen very often, but it happens like maybe 2 or 3 times a month, that she will come up to me and work and say for example, her skirt would brush against me, and I would smell rotten fish, it makes me nauseous and I try not to make a face or throw up, or hold my nose. Were pretty good friends and we joke around with eachother but I cannot stand that rotten fish smell from below her waist, and she has perfume on all the time. I don't want to hurt her feelings, but I can't stand the smell, what can I do? And she takes showers in the morning, so that's not the reason, and I don't think she has STD's, so what should I do?

Answer 1

I have to agree with Peace Frog, actually, and here's why:

If this woman truly has an odor that is offensive and is noticeable from a distance, her supervisor or human resources or a good female friend would have already told her that she stinks and she needs to clean up.  Since no one has mentioned it to her, chances are real good that no one but you notices it.  And the only way for you to smell something like that, that no one else can smell, is if your face is literally within a few inches of her crotch.  

My husband used to work for a manager who had a farm.  The manager would get ready for work, then would drive out to the farm to feed his animals - wearing his work clothes.  He was so used to the smell of animals and manure that he never noticed the smell of manure clinging to him, but people who worked with him could.  My husband was a friend of this man, and the other people in the department came to my husband to ask him to tell this guy to please wear clean clothes to work.  It wasn't easy, but like I said, the guy never noticed the smell clinging to his clothes and shoes.  But after that conversation, he would go feed the animals and THEN go home, shower, and get dressed for work.

That's why I'm pretty certain there is no odor on your friend - another woman would have already mentioned it to her.

On the off chance that there is an odor (which could be from an infection, or it could be the "morning after" discharge of body fluids from last night's s*x, or it could be the odor of the fish she ate yesterday or the day before that is coming out in her urine) ... like the others said, learn to turn your head when you inhale.  Keep your distance.  If you are sitting down and she walks up to you, stand up - that will get your face away from her crotch level.  And go talk to human resources and tell them that there is a body odor problem.  Let them handle it.

Answer 2

Breathe through your mouth when she comes near you

Answer 3

Learn the appropriate times to breathe when you're around her.  Believe me, it works.  That's why I'm able to change a dirty diaper with no problem and my husband gags the whole time.  It's all in the timing, just turn your head to the side she's not on when you need to inhale.

Answer 4

I would get some therapy for your hatred of women...Other than that, nothing comes to mind...

(I don't believe a word of this, although women occasionally have yeast infections which cause the problem. Most likely you are trying to find a reason to demean women because you have animosity towards them, probably due to a problematic relationship with your mother, which poisoned all future relationships. Good luck to you.)

Answer 5

You can take showers all the time, but it doesn't mean she's keeping up on cleaning and taking care of her personal hygeine. Like the first answer....just try not to be so close to her, and turn your head to breath.  Poor guy...I feel for ya.