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Conditions

Vaginal Discharge

Test for the presence of vaginal discharge

It’s perfectly normal for all women to experience vaginal discharge. However, this nugget of information will be of little comfort to you if your handbag is a repository for clean pairs of ‘emergency knickers’. Vaginal discharge usually begins just before puberty and ends after the menopause. Effectively this is your vagina cleaning itself. Normal discharge is clear, white or creamy and may give off a musky smell, but it’s not unpleasant. You may notice the amount changing from time to time and getting heavier just before your period. Sexual arousal or pregnancy may also bring an increase. However, if your discharge becomes thicker and has a consistency rather like cottage cheese, then you may have a bacterial infection such as thrush. And if it’s a greenish yellow colour then it may be more serious and could be a symptom of gonorrhoea or trichomoniasis. And be warned: chlamydia may also cause a change in your vaginal discharge.

Comments and Questions

The EB doctors have been looking at your comments and have answered some of the common questions below. Remember that it is always best to check with a health professional if you have any concerns about your health.

You can share your experiences and thoughts with other Embarrassing Bodies site-users below. Comments & Questions are reviewed by moderators, but if you see anything on the site that worries you, please report it and one of our moderators will look at it as soon as possible.
Please note: Unfortunately Channel 4 cannot respond to individual inquiries. If you have any concerns, you can check out NHS Choices, but ultimately it is always best to check with a health professional.

Hi I'm 18 years old and usually my discharge is clear & gooey, and I've recently found out that I have herpes, but I also may be pregnant because I've had unprotected sex twice but it was only 5 days ago. But since yesterday my discharge has been quite watery and its like a cream colour, is this a sign of pregnancy? Or is it due to herpes, or isit due to something else? Please help.





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My husband and I have been tryging for a baby since October last year when I came off the pill. After sex I have been abstaining from going to the toilet immediately so as to allow the sperm to have an impact. However more recently I am finding that for a while after sex, sometimes up to two days later, I am still leaking sperm. It is quite embarassing and has a very unpleasant and foul odour. Why is this?





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Why am i constantly discharging? I am 13 and have not started my perod yet, but my vagina always feels uncomfortable at school! ive tried wearing a pantyliner, but i doesnt help whatsoever. This has been happening for at least a year now. Please help, I hate feeling different and akward at school!





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I'm 18 and experience more discharge than i used I have, I've been to my gp she said its totally normal but as I've been watching your shows I've heard it's not normal, I've had swaps taken and I'm clear. What can I do please I really hate having to wear tampons every day as it starts to smell





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I have this too and its so annoying when the doctors say that its normal.

i got married 7 months back, while we want intercourse i am not getting white(completely gone away). any one help me is it any problem for me.





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i am menopausal l have a thick black discharge following my period





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I'm 15 and have been on my periods since I was 11. However, I seem to be constantly discharging, it is very visible in my underwear. It is the normal colour and consistency etc. it's just very embarassing! Is this normal?





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I'm 16, started my period when I was 14, and they're irregular, and the heaviness of my period varies also. But since my period, the amount of discharge has changed a lot. Whereas it used to be quite gooey and clear, it is now extremely water like and white, and the smell is quite strong, it happen throughout the day everyday. It's affecting me a lot as I'm at the point in a relationship where we want to experiment but I get too embarrassed. Also, when arroused I get extremely 'wet', and that makes me even more embarrassed. Help!





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Hay hun go to ur docs and explane what u just written good luck x

I'm 13 and have had discharge for about a year and a half, I started getting it regularly after I got thrush. I haven't got my periods yet, I have a small amount of pubic hair and theyre starting to turn black, I have started getting boobs about a year ago. . I have no armpit hair and occasionally get cramps when will my period come? !





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I was exactly the same as you! dont worry it will come, i had discharge for almost 3 years before i had my first period.

I'm 14 years old and I've been exspriancing white stuff in the lips of my vagina, I'm not to sure if this is normal or not and have never seen it before. I'm fairly worried could anyone help?





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Hi I'm also fourteen nd in the same situation don't panic this is totally nourmal if you haven't already it could be a sign your period is about to start if it changes colour like yellow or green see your GP or gyneacologist





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It looks like no one else has asked this question, so please fill in the rest of your details below.





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