Brandi Jones MSN-Ed, RN-BC is a board-certified registered nurse who owns Brandi Jones LLC, where she writes health and wellness blogs, articles, and education. She lives with her husband and springer spaniel and enjoys camping and tapping into her creativity in her downtime.
Monique Rainford, MD, is board-certified in obstetrics-gynecology, and currently serves as an Assistant Clinical Professor at Yale Medicine. She is the former chief of obstetrics-gynecology at Yale Health.
Healthy vaginal discharge is normal and natural. This fluid keeps the vagina clean and provides lubrication. Normal discharge is clear, white, off-white, or pale yellow and has a characteristic scent. Healthy discharge ranges from clear to milky white, and amounts fluctuate with a woman’s menstrual cycle.
Discharge that is chunky, a color outside of the normal variations, or foul-smelling is abnormal and should be followed up with a healthcare provider.
This article reviews normal vaginal discharge, symptoms of abnormal discharge, possible causes, treatments, and when to notify your healthcare provider.
The words "woman" and "women" are used here to refer to people who identify as women and have typical reproductive organs of a cisgender female. We recognize that some people who identify as women do not have the same anatomy as that depicted in this article.
Kittisak Jirasittichai / EyeEm / Getty Images
Vaginal discharge is fluid made from glands in and around the vagina. It keeps the vagina clean and provides lubrication.
Healthy discharge does not smell bad and is clear, white, or pale yellow. During your period, it can be red because it’s mixed with blood. Toward the end of your period, it often turns brown as old blood is cleared out. Consistency and amount vary with your monthly cycle and differ for each woman.
The following are abnormal variations:
Oftentimes vaginal discharge is normal, healthy, and common. However, certain types of discharge are abnormal and are cause for seeking medical care.
Variations in thickness, amount, and color naturally occur with hormone fluctuations, sexual arousal, and pregnancy. These variations are normal.
Around ovulation—at about days 12–14 of your cycle—discharge becomes more clear and stretchy. Sexual arousal causes an increase in discharge to allow for lubrication. During pregnancy, discharge often increases but is still white, milky, and thin.
Abnormal discharge can be caused by infections such as:
Most (70%) cases of abnormal vaginal discharge is caused by bacterial vaginosis, yeast infections, or an STI.
Hormonal contraception (birth control) and hormone therapy can disrupt discharge amounts.
Femara (letrozole ) and Nolvadex (tamoxifen ) inhibit estrogen to prevent or treat hormone receptor-positive breast cancer and may decrease amounts of vaginal discharge.
Osphena (ospemifene ) treats vaginal dryness due to menopause, and a possible side effect is increased vaginal discharge.
The following medications increase the risk for yeast infections:
Abnormal discharge is treated based on the cause. Examples include:
Bacterial infections can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). When left untreated, PID increases your risk of chronic pelvic pain, infertility, and ectopic pregnancies.
Pregnant women with abnormal discharge are at risk of complications such as preterm delivery.
Seeking an early diagnosis and treatment helps reduce the risk of complications.
The following at-home test kits may help identify changes in discharge:
Carefully follow the directions on these tests to ensure you receive accurate results. Contact your healthcare provider if you think you have an infection, if the results are unclear, or if you have any questions. A provider may recommend or perform one of the following tests:
Make an appointment with your healthcare provider for the following changes in discharge:
In addition, see your healthcare provider for:
All women experience vaginal discharge. It keeps the vagina clean and provides lubrication. Normal, healthy discharge is clear, white, off-white, or pale yellow and does not smell bad.
When the color changes to green, bright yellow, or gray, this usually indicates infection. Abnormal consistency is chunky, contains pus, is frothy, or is very watery. A foul odor typically means an infection.
Some medications such as antibiotics and chemotherapy increase the risk for yeast infections. Other medications, such as those that affect female reproductive hormones, can alter the amount of healthy discharge.
Abnormal discharge is diagnosed and treated based on the cause. Yeast infections are treated with antifungals, while bacterial infections are treated with antibiotics.
Vaginal discharge is something all women experience, and keeping track of what is normal for you is important.
It may feel uncomfortable to discuss any changes with your healthcare provider. However, they are used to these conversations and want to help you feel better. They need to know your concerns because early diagnosis and treatment help decrease the risk of complications.
Normal, healthy vaginal discharge comes from glands in and around the vagina. Its purpose is to clean and lubricate the vagina. Abnormal discharge can be caused by a yeast infection, bacterial vaginosis, or an STI.
Healthy vaginal discharge is part of a woman’s life. If you suspect you have a yeast infection, if you’ve had one before, and your symptoms are mild, your healthcare provider may suggest an OTC yeast infection cream. A more severe yeast infection, bacterial infection, or an STI requires medical attention.
Normal, healthy discharge is clear, white, off-white, or pale yellow, with little to no odor. White discharge with a chunky texture like cottage cheese typically indicates a yeast infection. Green, gray, white-gray, bright yellow, frothy, watery, foul-smelling discharge can be caused by various infections.
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