Husbands hygiene is ruining my life

My first post here so please bear with me. I’m a F (35) and husband is M (37) we’ve been married 3 years and together 7. He is my best friend and I genuinely don’t want to imagine my life without him but I’m running out of energy. Our sex life is non existent and it’s affecting both of us. I struggle sexually anyway after 3 years of ill health and hormone changes but I try to work round it.

The issue I’m here for is that My husband’s breath and privates smell. I’ve tried talking to him multiple times over the period of 4-5 years. I’ve tried joking, gentle, stern, downright rude. Nothing changes it. He kisses sloppily on my body and it makes my hard to muster drive disappear altogether. I feel angry and disgusted. he try’s to use saliva as a lubricant and it makes me want to push him off me and the mood goes instantly. I have to wash myself immediately as I feel repulsed. Even on our wedding night he smelt. I was so disappointed. I tried to pass it off as maybe it’s his feet and he was sweaty from dancing but he just played it down.

He cleans his teeth in the morning only. He bathes most days but just sort of sits in it stewing with a 10sec wash. I have to literally pull it back and wash him whilst passing it off as ‘foreplay or my kink‘. He gets uncomfortable with it and says he’s not a child. When I address it he acts like a brat and storms off, gets really hurt and upset and all huffy. I have tried not sleeping with me, I’ve tried blaming myself, I’ve tried to put up with it but I get thrush, BV and water infections anytime he or his parts gets near me and it’s making my parts close. I feel nothing sexually. I have to travel with the window open, sleep with something covering my face or hold my breath. I feel embarrassed when he talks to people. I’ve even wished he would cheat so someone else could tell him straight up ‘ew’.

He tried to initiate it the other month and I got BV in under 24hrs from him trying to insert but my parts where having none of it. He asked why i wouldn't kiss him but i made an excuse for myself. I feel exhausted by it. I tried to discuss it again and he came back with we’re both not invested in our marriage and we both need to fix our issues. He said I save the ‘happy me’ for others and I’m the negative part for him and it’s affecting him. He said I was overweight and shouldn’t eat sweets. He said he can’t afford the dentist but wastes money and that it’s not a priority and I’m not supporting his goal to be debt free. Heart attacks run in the family and he is monitored regularly as had 2 small ones a year after we married. His teeth have visible plaque, one of his teeth partially fell out and they are black in places. The cabbage smell started in our 2nd year together and now it’s like sewage and I can smell it from 1-2ft away. I’ve told him it can affect your cardiovascular health.

I feel if I had the money to clear my debts and leave him I would because I’m tired of fighting for us and being accused of not caring, not trying etc. I dont want to be repulsed or ill. I feel it’s ruined my sex life going forward. I dont want to sleep with him. I try to show affection in platonic ways but he says I don’t make effort for him.

I’m not sure what to expect from this post but anyone have anything to suggest about any parts of this, please do. Gently.

Posted Jun 29, 2026, 11:32 PM UTC

117
Loading comments…