This is what your vaginal discharge is telling you about your health – and when you could have an STI
It's not a glamorous topic, but knowing what your vaginal discharge should look and smell like could help you spot a nasty infection
IT'S something all women get, but we hardly ever talk about it.
Vaginal discharge is not the most glamorous of topics, but it IS an important one.
Knowing how much discharge is normal, what colour it should be and what it should smell like can actually help you spot some serious health problems, including STIs.
Here two experts share all you need to know about the issue...
What is discharge?
Discharge is essentially a form of mucus that is produced from the cervix, the opening of the womb.
It is a completely normal part of female life and is the vagina's way of keeping itself clean and healthy.
Natika Halil, chief executive of sexual health charity FPA, said as a result there is no need to use cleaning products, soaps and shampoos between your legs.
"The vagina is really good at cleaning itself," she told The Sun Online. "Using perfumed products particularly can do more harm than good.
"The best way to wash this part of the body is to use plain, un-perfumed soap and water to clean the vulva."
How much discharge is normal?
The amount of vaginal discharge produced can vary from woman-to-woman.
It also changes regularly based on where a woman is at in her menstrual cycle.
Some will notice a thicker discharge right before they get their period, others may notice a watery discharge when they are ovulating.
It is important to work out what is normal for you and see a doctor if you see any major changes.
Dr Virginia Beckett, spokesperson for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said: "The amount of vaginal discharge varies throughout a women’s menstrual cycle, and most pregnant women will get a pregnancy discharge.
"Healthy discharge doesn't have a strong smell or colour, but women may feel an uncomfortable wetness."
What colour should it be?
Healthy discharge should be white, milky or clear in colour.
And if all is healthy downstairs there should be no sign of an unpleasant smell or any itching.
Any changes in colour or may indicate a vaginal infection.
Similarly, any changes in amount, consistency or smell could also indicate there's a problem, which is why it's important to know what's normal for your body.
So how can you tell if something is wrong?
If you've noticed your discharge has changed colour and consistency or has developed a bad smell you should see a doctor.
It may just be that you have a mild infection but it could also be the sign of an sexually transmitted infection (STI).
Dr Beckett said: "Any sudden change in a woman’s discharge may indicate a vaginal infection.
"The warning signs of infection include a change in colour or consistency, a sudden bad smell, an unusually large amount of discharge, itching outside the vagina, pain in the pelvis or tummy, or unexpected bleeding from the vagina.
"If a woman isn’t sure whether her discharge is normal, she should visit her GP, practice nurse or pharmacist"
White, lumpy discharge
If you spot discharge that resembles cottage-cheese, it's a sign that you have thrush.
Thrush is a common yeast infection that affects both men and women.
It is harmless but can be recurring, according the the NHS.
Women with thrush will have a white cottage cheese like discharge that doesn't smell, itching and irritation around the vagina and sometimes a soreness or stinging when they wee.
Any sudden change in a woman’s discharge may indicate a vaginal infection.
Dr Virginia Beckett, from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
Dr Beckett said: "Vaginal thrush is a common yeast infection that affects most women at some point in their lives.
"It may be unpleasant and uncomfortable, but can usually be treated with medication available from pharmacies or on prescription from GPs.
"However, for some women, vaginal thrush can be difficult to treat and keeps coming back."
Yellow or green discharge
If your discharge turns a yellow green colour it could mean you have gonorrhoea, warns Nitika.
She also said to keep a look out for "thin and watery" discharge as that can also indicate you have the STI.
Gonorrhoea is caused by bacteria called neisseria gonorrhoeae or gonococcus.
It is easily passed between people through unprotected sex and sharing sex toys.
Typical signs include a thick green or yellow discharge, pain while weeing and bleeding between periods.
We encourage people to get tested for sexually transmitted infections regularly as part of a normal healthy lifestyle.
Natika Halil, chief executive of sexual health charity FPA
It is easily treated with antibiotics but is not without risks.
Treated early, it is unlikely to lead to complications but without treatment it can spread to other parts of the body and cause harm.
In women it can spread to the reproductive organs and cause pelvic inflammatory disease which can lead to long-term pelvic pain and even infertility.
In pregnant women it also increases the risk of miscarriage, premature birth and the baby being born with conjunctivitis which can lead to vision damage.
So it is important to get tested straight away if you notice this change in your discharge.
White/grey discharge
If your discharge is a greyish colour it indicates one of the most common causes of changes in a woman's discharge.
A white/grey coloured discharge is a common sign of bacterial vaginosis (BV).
It occurs when the bacteria inside the vagina becomes disrupted.
It doesn't usually come with itching or pain but can create a strong fishy smell.
Healthy discharge doesn't have a strong smell or colour, but women may feel an uncomfortable wetness.
Dr Virginia Beckett, from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
Nikita said: "One in three women will get it at some time.
"It’s not a sexually transmitted infection but can develop after you have had sex.
"Around half of women with BV won’t notice any signs and symptoms.
"Others might notice a change in their usual vaginal discharge which may increase, become thin and watery, change to a white/grey colour or develop a strong, fishy smell, especially after sex."
How often should you have an STI test?
With all this in mind, the experts recommend it is important to take good care of your sexual health.
It is important to get tested if you have had unprotected sex and multiple sexual partners since you were last tested, they told The Sun Online.
But that doesn't mean you don't need to worry if you are in a relationship - you should still make regular trips to the clinic to get tested.
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Nikita said: "We encourage people to get tested for sexually transmitted infections regularly as part of a normal healthy lifestyle.
"There are a number of different services you can use to get tested for free, including sexual health clinics, genitourinary medicine clinics and your GP.
"Many clinics now also offer free postal testing services for STIs such as chlamydia and gonorrhoea."
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