What it means

Discharge is a normal, active process. The vagina cleans itself through mucus that carries away old cells and keeps the internal environment stable. A healthy discharge is clear or white, mild-smelling, and not associated with itching, soreness or pain.

Discharge is not dirt and not a sign of being unclean. It is a sign that the body is working.

What can vary

  • Hormonal pattern. Discharge increases and becomes stretchier, like clear egg white, around ovulation. It may become thicker before a period.
  • Amount varies enormously between people, and changes across the life course.
  • During puberty it starts before the first period, which surprises people because they assume periods come first.
  • Life events change it: pregnancy, breastfeeding, menopause, the pill, and illness can all shift the pattern.
  • After sex, discharge often increases — that is normal physiological response, not an infection.

Possible explanations

When discharge changes, the usual suspects are:

  • Yeast infection — thick, white, cottage-cheese-like, with itching and soreness
  • Bacterial vaginosis — thin, greyish or white, with a fishy smell, usually without itching
  • Trichomoniasis — frothy, yellow-green, with a smell
  • Cervical ectropis or a normal hormonal increase — discharge that is heavier but not uncomfortable
  • Cervical infection — chlamydia or gonorrhoea, particularly with pain, bleeding after sex, or a new partner

You cannot tell these apart at home, and they are treated differently. That is the main reason to get checked rather than self-treat.

Warning signs

Same day: fever with pelvic pain, or vomiting with pelvic pain.

Prompt:

  • Discharge with itching, soreness, or pain, especially if new
  • A strong or unpleasant smell
  • Discharge that is bloody between periods, or after sex
  • Discharge in pregnancy, or during breastfeeding with pain
  • Pelvic pain at the same time as a change in discharge
  • Discharge that smells of fish, or is frothy and green

Also worth mentioning: anything with fever, or severe pelvic pain, is a different situation entirely.

What to do next

Book an appointment. Testing is usually a swab, it is quick, and it is the only way to know which condition, if any, you have.

Avoid starting treatment from a description — antifungal creams do nothing for bacterial vaginosis, and repeated over-the-counter treatment delays the correct diagnosis.

Self-care

  • Wipe front to back. This genuinely reduces infection risk.
  • Plain water only. No scented washes, wipes, douches, bubble baths or antiseptics in that area.
  • Do not douche. Douching disrupts the environment that keeps you well, and is associated with increased risk.
  • Cotton underwear and breathable fabrics, and change out of wet clothing.
  • Avoid antibiotics unless you need them — they commonly trigger thrush.
  • Sugar intake has weaker evidence, but people notice a pattern and it is a reasonable thing to adjust.

When to seek help

Routine: a change in discharge with no itching, pain or smell.

Prompt: new itching, soreness, unpleasant smell, or bleeding between periods.

Same day / emergency: fever with pelvic pain, or vomiting with pelvic pain.

How to talk about it

“I’ve noticed a discharge that’s different to usual and it smells.”

“There’s been itching for a few days and I want to be checked.”

“I’m getting this every month around my period and it’s annoying.”

Mentioning the change, how long, and any smell or itch is what lets a clinician narrow it quickly.

Sources

Public sources are linked so you can read the detail rather than take this site’s word for it. None of this has yet been reviewed by a qualified clinician — see how we handle medical review.

Keep reading

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References

Where this comes from

Linked so you can check it against a recognised public health source rather than take this site's word for it.

  1. Vaginal discharge — NHS NHS (opens in a new tab)
  2. The menstrual cycle — RCOG Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (opens in a new tab)

These are public sources from recognised health organisations, linked so you can read the detail rather than take this site's word for it. Reading them does not tell you whether any of it applies to you, and none of these articles has yet been reviewed by a qualified clinician. How we handle sourcing and review.