I (M51) need to tell my partner (F51) some uncomfortable things that are affecting our sex life, and I want to be as tactful and sensitive as possible. What are some approaches that have worked for you (either as the one giving or receiving the unpleasant details)?

I've been dating this woman for a few months. In many ways she's one of the best girlfriends I've had, and I think that we make a great couple in terms of our shared interests and goals and personalities. I find her physically attractive when she's clothed, but once we started fooling around I noticed a couple things that keep killing the mood. Specifically, her breath is usually bad (not food smell, but rotten smell) and she has an unusually hairy lower back. The breath thing is perplexing because she has good personal hygiene and I know she regularly visits the dentist for cleanings. And I've read that the hair might be an indication of a medical condition, although I do not know her medical history.

Her breath is distracting when we're making out; I find myself trying to breathe through my mouth to avoid it, but just the knowledge that it smells is still a problem. I also try pretending the back hair's not there (she's a natural blonde, so it's not always visibly noticeable), but sometimes I'll accidentally brush my fingers across it and it makes my skin crawl.

I'm able to "perform" and bring her to climax, but I've never been able to reach my own orgasm with her. (And she has begun to notice.) I do not have ED and she's the only woman I've slept with where I was NEVER able to cum; I'm simply too put off.

Maybe it's closed-minded of me to be turned off by these things, but I feel actual physical revulsion during these moments. (I'm not trying to be grossed out. I want to enjoy it!) As much as I love her, I can't see how I can go much longer without sexual fulfilment, so I figure we need to talk about these things. BUT HOW?

I don't want to hurt her, and I don't want to make her feel insecure. I want her to know how much I do care for her and hope we can figure something out. What's a good way to bring something like this up? (What kind of setting, how to frame it, etc.)

EDIT: As a veteran redditor I am well aware that "beside the point" is a frequent destination for many of my peers. I hoped my post would elicit some practical relationship advice (and I actually got some- thanks!), but for those of you who seem to think I don't know what mammals are, here's some more information: In my 30+ years as a sexually active adult I've had intimate experiences with a probably higher-than-average number of women. I've even dated women who didn't shave at all, and had nothing but great times with them.

Here are a couple of photos of women who don't shave (I would consider both photos safe-for-work, but they obviously show a fair amount of skin so be warned):

https://i.imgur.com/sTD5mKR.png

https://i.imgur.com/iG7IX9R.png

There is visible hair on the armpits and on the legs, but not so much on the torso. The unshaven women I've dated in the past had hair distribution similar to this. When we get to the intimate areas, most of the "hairy" women I've been with had very little visible hair on their buttocks (a couple were even naturally hairless in the butt crack, despite having a pronounced frontal bush) and none on their back.

My girlfriend has a large patch of visible half-inch-length hair across most of her lower back. She's the only woman I've ever been with like this. It's not "peach fuzz."