What is discharge?

Discharge is the fluid that leaves the vagina, it's the vagina's 'self-cleaning' mechanism and helps to keep the vagina clean and prevent infections.

Most importantly, discharge is completely normal! and almost all vagina owners will experience it in some form and it varies throughout the hormonal cycle.

To read more about how discharge changes during the hormonal cycle click here

The colour of discharge can indicate other things going on in your body so it's important to see a doctor if it changes.

Clear / White Discharge

Clear / White Discharge is what is usually expected, it's completely healthy and normal.

Thicker white discharge

Discharge that is thicker and a bit chunky can be a sign of a yeast infection (thrush) , if this is the case consult a doctor who can take a swab to check. These can usually be treated simply with medication or over the counter suppositories that can be bought at a pharmacy.

Yellow / Green Discharge

Yellow or green discharge can be an indicator of infection. Usually it's a sign of bacterial vaginosis or a sexually transmitted infection (STI), a doctor can determine this with a painless vaginal swab and treat with medication if it comes back positive.

Grey Discharge

Grey discharge can be an indicator of bacterial vaginosis (BV) which is an overproduction of a certain bacteria in the vagina and can be treated with medication

Pink / Brown Discharge

Pink / brown discharge is usually when period blood mixes with the usual discharge. This is usually normal and may happen around the period or after penetration, however if it occurs during pregnancy or very often a doctor should be consulted to check for abnormalities.

Clear / watery Discharge

Cleary watery discharge is normal and usually occurs due to sexual arousal in order to lubricate the vagina to make sex smoother.