Vaginal Discharge: What’s Normal, What’s Not Normal, and When to See a Doctor

Wet and wild or wet and worried? What exactly is vaginal discharge and when, if ever, should you be concerned about it? Let's cover the basics of this natural function, including the types of vaginal discharge, what's normal and what's not, and how to tell when something may be amiss.

What is vaginal discharge?

Normal vaginal discharge, known as leukorrhea, is a clear or whitish glandular fluid that routinely clears away dead cells and bacteria from the vagina, keeping it clean and healthy. This is an efficient collaboration of glands in the uterus, cervix, and vagina. It’s normal to have some discharged fluid everyday, though the amount and even the texture can change without it being a cause for alarm.

Vaginal discharge should be mostly odorless or neutral. However some normal variations in smell can be caused by pregnancy, medications, and personal hygiene.

What does healthy discharge look like?

It's totally normal for vaginal discharge to change in color and consistency from time to time. It may be clear, thin, and slippery one day and whiter and thicker the next. Hormones, menstrual cycles, pregnancy, ovulation, breastfeeding or chestfeeding, and sexual arousal can all affect the consistency and appearance of normal discharge without disrupting the overall health of the vagina.

Medications such as birth control pills, antibiotics, and steroids can also change the appearance and texture of your discharge, which can indicate some imbalance. It’s also a good idea to avoid or limit use of scented personal care products on and in the vagina. That includes douches, scented soaps, and bubble bath.

Normal vaginal discharge can diminish due to perimenopause, menopause, chemotherapy, surgical removal of ovaries, radiation treatment to the pelvis, and medicines and hormones prescribed for such conditions are endometriosis, breast cancer, infertility, or fibroids. Severe stress and depression can also affect the amount of nornal discharge you experience.

Types of Vaginal Discharge

If you notice unusual, sudden, or persistent changes in the appearance, amount, consistency, and/or odor of your discharge, it’s time to check with a medical provider. These changes might indicate an infection. Itching, burning, and irritation on the vulva and around the entrance and interior of the vagina are other signals that you need treatment. Be sure to get it!

Let's dig into what changes in color, texture, and smell can mean.

Thick, White, and Clumpy

Discharge like this, which some people describe as “cheesy,” could indicate vaginal candidiasis, commonly known as a yeast infection, especially if accompanied by itching, swelling and pain around the vulva, and painful vaginal intercourse. This infection can also cause a vaginal rash or even sores or cracks on the vulva. There is usually no change in odor.

Yeast infections are an overgrowth of fungus — yes, fungus! — in the vagina. Yeast infections are not contagious.

Severe yeast infections may occur if you are immunocompromised for any reason, if you are pregnant, if you douche, or if you have diabetes that's not well controlled. 

Thin, Grayish-White with a Fishy Odor

This discharge could indicate bacterial vaginosis (BV). Vaginal discharge can also be yellowish with BV. this bacterial infection is not communicable and is not considered a sexually transmitted infection. It is caused by a disruption in the normal balance of the vaginal fluid. BV is more common for pregnant folks and people who have more than one sexual partner.

BV can increase the chances of getting a sexually transmitted infection and if untreated, can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).

Read More: Bacterial Vaginosis: Is This Common Infection an STI?

Yellow or Green

Yellow or green-colored vaginal discharge requires an immediate call to your medical provider. This can indicate a bacterial or fungal infection or a sexually transmitted infection, such as gonorrhea. Yellowish or greenish vaginal discharge may also have an unusual odor and appear cloudy or milky.

Brown or Bloody

This kind of discharge seems scary, but it is most often associated with irregular menstrual cycles and even implantation bleeding due to pregnancy. But don’t try to guess at the cause, call your medical provider. 

And if you also experience pelvic pain or abnormal vaginal bleeding, call the doctor now! There could be a more severe condition when this type of discharge is accompanied by pelvic pain and abnormal bleeding, such as endometriosis or endometrial or cervical cancer.

Frothy, Yellow-Green with a Foul Odor

This kind of discharge is most likely trichomoniasis and that’s not great news. It’s caused by a parasite. Trichomoniasis symptoms include painful urination and painful vaginal intercourse and vaginal irritation and itching. Lower abdominal pain is a rare symptom but it can occur. 

Though women and other people assigned female at birth are most often diagnosed with this, men and other people with penises can also contract this and infect partners. In fact, it can be spread between any partners via vaginal, oral, or anal sex and any kind of genital contact.

The treatment for “trich” is antibiotics, usually metronidazole (Flagyl) or tinidazole (Tindamax). And it's important for all sexual partners to be treated at the same time to prevent reinfection.

What types of discharge require a visit to the doctor?

Don’t ignore changes in your vaginal discharge if they seem unusual to you. You're the expert on your body! Get in touch with your medical provider, even if it's just to get some peace of mind that the changes are normal.

And if you have pain, itching, burning, rashes, distinct odor, or anything else that seems alarming on, in, or about your genitals in addition to changes to your discharge, go see your medical care provider pronto.

Keep this in mind: you can have more than one kind of infection at a time. For instance, if you think you have a yeast infection and get an over the counter treatment, but you really have a yeast infection and BV, your symptoms won't completely resolve! This is one of the many reasons why it's so important to check in with a medical provider and get a proper diagnosis.

And while we're on the subject, remember that regular checkups are vital to staying on top of your vaginal health. If it's been a while since you saw a medical provider about your vaginal health, you don't have to wait until there's something wrong to check in! 

Read More: Bleeding During Sex? Here’s What to Know

Care and Treatment

Once your medical provider diagnoses the condition causing your abnormal discharge, they'll prescribe the proper treatment to address the underlying condition.

Yeast infections are treated with antifungal medications, which can be given orally or inserted in the vagina as creams or gels. Trichomoniasis, bacterial vaginosis, and bacterial sexually transmitted infections are all treated with antibiotics, while viral STIs will be treated with antiviral drugs. Some medications to treat these conditions are oral, while others are topical, such as a cream that's inserted in the vagina. 

Home comfort measures can be fine once you’ve begun the appropriate medication, but make sure you ask your doctor before you try over the counter or home remedies. You can also ask your medical provider about preventative measures. And don’t forgot to use barrier methods such as condoms.

The Bottom Line

Becoming aware of your normal fluctuations in vaginal discharge empowers you to take charge of your sexual health. If you understand your normal discharge patterns, you’ll be less likely to put off treatment when you experience something abnormal.

Vaginal discharge is a normal and natural process, but when in doubt, always make an appointment with your care provider. The sooner you get treatment the easier it is to take care of the problem!