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Vaginal discharge - Overview

Alternative Names

Discharge from the vagina

Definition of Vaginal discharge:

Vaginal discharge refers to secretions from the vagina. Such discharge can vary in:

Consistency (thick, pasty, thin)
Color (clear, cloudy)
Smell (normal, odorless, bad odor)

Considerations:

Having some amount of vaginal discharge is normal, especially if you are of childbearing age. Glands in the cervix produce a clear mucus. These secretions may turn white or yellow when exposed to the air. These are normal variations.

The amount of mucus produced by the cervical glands varies throughout the menstrual cycle. This is normal and depends on the amount of estrogen circulating in your body. It is also normal for the walls of the vagina to release some secretions. The amount depends on hormone levels in the body.

Vaginal discharge that suddenly differs in color, odor, or consistency, or significantly increases or decreases in amount, may indicate an underlying problem like an infection.

Common Causes:

The following situations can increase the amount of normal vaginal discharge:

Emotional stress
Ovulation (the production and release of an egg from your ovary in the middle of your menstrual cycle)
Pregnancy
Sexual excitement

Abnormal vaginal discharge may be due to:

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) -- Bacteria that normally live in the vagina overgrow, causing a grey discharge and fishy odor that worsen after sexual intercourse. BV is usually not sexually transmitted.
Cervical or vaginal cancer (rarely a cause of excess discharge)
Chlamydia
Forgotten tampon or foreign body
Gonorrhea
Other infections and sexually transmitted diseases
Trichomoniasis
Vaginal yeast infection

Female reproductive anatomy

Vaginal discharge

Uterus

Reviewed last on: 8/1/2008
Linda Vorvick, MD, Seattle Site Coordinator, Maternal & Child Health Lecturer, Pathophysiology, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington School of Medicine; Susan Storck, MD, FACOG, Clinical Teaching Faculty, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington School of Medicine; Chief, Eastside Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound, Redmond, WA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Anderson M, Karasz A, Friedland S. Are vaginal symptoms ever normal? A review of the literature. MedGenMed. 2004; 6(4): 49.

Melville C, Nandwani R, Bigrigg A, McMahon AD. A comparative study of clinical management strategies for vaginal discharge in family planning and genitourinary medicine settings. J Fam Plann Reprod Health Care. 2005; 31(1): 26-30.

French L, Horton J, Matousek M. Abnormal vaginal discharge: what does and does not work in treating underlying causes. J Fam Pract. 2004; 53(11): 890-894.

Eckert LO; Lentz GM. Infections of the lower genital tract: vulva, vagina, cervix, toxic shock syndrome, HIV infections. In Katz VL, Lentz GM, Lobo RA, Gershenson DM, eds. Comprehensive Gynecology. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2007:chap 22.

Sanfilippo JS. Vulvovaginitis. In Kliegman RM, Behrman RE, Jenson HB, Stanton BF, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 549.

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