I’m going to be honest and admit that I didn’t know what vaginal discharge was until I was 15 years old, as it had never been mentioned in my sex education class. To make matters worse, when I asked a question about it in the class’s anonymous question box, the teacher said “I’m not sure what this one means so I’m going to move on”—naturally a young me assumed something was wrong with me and my vagina. It wasn’t until my mum made a passing comment that I googled vaginal discharge and came to realize that the fluids I was seeing in my underwear were normal and actually a great sign that my vagina was keeping itself clean and healthy. Unfortunately, many other people I have spoken to went through a similar experience. All of this confusion could have been prevented if there was education and an acknowledgment of the existence of vaginal discharge.
Monistat provides a simple but effective guide to help educate people on what vaginal discharge is as well as how to recognize normal and abnormal discharge. The educational blog on their page provides similar resources such as: diagnosing and treating yeast infections at home and guides for vaginal health for specific age groups.
Vaginal discharge comes from the glands inside your vagina and cervix. These glands produce small amounts of fluids, this is better known as vaginal fluid. Every day this fluid flows out of the vagina, cleansing the old cells that have lined the vagina. Monistat makes sure to reinforce the point that this is simply just a natural process for your body to keep your vagina clean and healthy. Discharge varies between every vagina owner, for some they may have discharge every day whilst others have a less frequent experience. Vaginal discharge can also change over the course of the menstrual cycle, these changes in color and thickness are usually caused by ovulation and are once again, a natural thing to happen. For me personally, in the time before the beginning of my period, I find the frequency of discharge increases—before being educated I never really paid much attention, but now I have paid attention to my body and noted patterns, I always know when my period is about to come! Though not mentioned on Monistat’s page, it may be common to find that your vaginal discharge has ‘bleached’ patches in your underwear, leaving a yellow or white stain. Once again this is completely normal and is due to the way that vaginal discharge is naturally acidic.
Normal vaginal discharge is usually clear or milky, this may also be followed by a subtle scent that is not unpleasant nor foul-smelling. Changes to your discharge that are not due to ovulation may be a sign of an imbalance of healthy bacteria in your vagina. Thankfully Monistat provides a great table to look at your symptoms and get an idea of what could be going on and what to do next:
When your discharge is thick, white, and may resemble cottage cheese:
Other symptoms that may be experienced are vaginal itching, burning or pain. You may also be experiencing pain whilst urinating or having sex, along with redness or a rash around the vulva. This could be a sign of vaginal yeast infection. If experiencing this, Monistat encourages you to see your healthcare professional. Monistat also provides a link to their vaginal health test as well as offering their own treatment to cure the yeast infection.
When your discharge is white, yellow or grey:
Other symptoms include a fishy odor, itching and swelling—this could be a sign of bacterial vaginosis. If experiencing this, have a discussion with your healthcare professional. Treatment of bacterial vaginosis is usually relatively simple, using antibiotic tables, gels or creams.
When your discharge is yellow or green, thick or chunky and has a foul odor:
This is a sign of trichomoniasis. Once again if experiencing these symptoms, talk to your healthcare professional as trichomoniasis is unlikely to go away without treatment of antibiotics. As trichomoniasis is a sexually transmitted infection, it is imperative for you and any present/recent sexual partners to also be tested and treated.
When your discharge is brown or bloody, also experience pelvic pain and vaginal bleeding:
Though this could be a sign of irregular menstruation, Monistat suggests it could be a sign of something more serious and encourages you to see a healthcare professional.
When your discharge is cloudy, yellow, and experiencing pelvic pain:
This could be gonorrhea and should be discussed with your healthcare professional. Treatment is usually a single antibiotic injection, followed by abstaining from sex until told you no longer have the infection. Similar to trichomoniasis, gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted infection and should be tested for as soon as possible due to the long-term health problems it can cause. Also, note that the symptoms of gonorrhea can present in a very similar way to those with a penis.
It is a good idea to pay attention to your vaginal discharge, giving you the opportunity to know what is normal for you, and what could be signaling a problem. Only you know your body—if your vaginal discharge doesn’t seem normal to you, talk to your healthcare professional.
By Stephanie McCartney