5 Colours of Vaginal Discharge and Their Meanings
Vaginal discharge is very common in women and it can happen at any age but mainly after puberty. It can change in color and size depending on the time you are in your menstrual cycle or whether your pregnant, ovulating or sexually aroused but what happens when the colour your seeing is unusual or different from your normal discharge. Well…let’s find out.
1. Red or pink discharge
If you are having this type of discharge around the time you’re expecting your period, then its completely normal, it signifies that your menstrual cycle has arrived. Towards the end of the cycle, women start to see very darker brown colour of discharge, this indicates that the flow is very slow causing oxidation. This discharge can also be a sign of intermenstrual bleeding(bleeding weeks before your period occurs) which is known as spotting, in this case you would need to see a doctor.
If you’re expecting you’re period and you have had unprotected sex but instead of you’re usual period, you get the pink-red type of discharge then this can be a sign of pregnancy and it is best advised to take a pregnancy test. If you’re already pregnant and you notice this kind of discharge then this could be a sign of early miscarriage. Thirdly, if you’ve entered menopause or haven’t seen your period for over a year or close to a year and you get this type of discharge or a kind of red tint with it, then it could be a sign of endometrial cancer which you would need to seek urgent medical advice.
2. Yellow-green discharge
If you notice this type of discharge then it is not normal. It is a sign of STI (Sexually Transmitted Infection). This is a bubbly Yellow-green discharge, you get this when you have sex without condoms or with someone that is infected with trichonomas vaginalis. This vaginalis is the most common non-virus infection, the cases of this infection is much higher than the gonorrhoea infection. This discharge comes with a very offensive smile, burning and stinging when urinating and soreness located in the lips of the vagina as well as itching around the vagina. If you’re seeing these symptoms then you need to see a health clinic. Fortunately, this can be treated using antibiotics.
This Yellow-green discharge can also be a sign of gonorrhoea. Gonorrhea is another sexually transmitted infection but most cases of gonorrhoea come without symptoms, leaving the infection to go on for a long period of time without being treated. If you do have symptoms of this infection you would see the following: Yellow-green discharge, abdominal or pelvic pain, intermenstrual bleeding, burning and stinging when urinating, pain during sex.
3. Creamy or White discharge
If you’re noticing a white, thick and plumply discharge, then there is a high percentage that it is a yeast infection called thrush. This is an infection that affects both men and women. This discharge can also look creamy and some women aren’t aware that they have it because it may sometimes occur with no symptoms. If you do get symptoms, the most common symptoms are vulval itching, burning and stinging, the lips of the vagina may appear swollen and red. This can also be one of the causes of painful sex. Although, if you’re experiencing white or creamy vaginal discharge it might not always mean you have thrust, if it is just a small amount of the discharge and doesn’t cone with any foul odour then it doesn’t necessarily need to be treated.
If you do experience large amounts, it can be treated with anti-yeast or anti-fungal medications.
4. Grey discharge
In most cases, this is a type of discharge that you will get if you have bacterial vaginosis. This is not caused by having sex but it is found in women that have sex. This is triggered when the ph level of the vagina rises due to things like washing the vagina with some certain soaps or using some type of perfume. Things like this will change the ph of the vagina and cause an overgrowth if a certain type of bacteria bringing a grey discharge. There is usually no itching or stinging, though this can occur in some women, but the main symptom is a grey discharge with a fishy type of smell which becomes even stronger after washing the vagina with soap or after sex.
If you do experience this, please consult a medical doctor although it can be treated with antibiotics.
5. Clear Discharge
This is the normal vaginal discharge that comes with no odour but can smell a bit acidic. This discharge can be stretchy, watery or stringy, and sometimes it may be thick and plumply.This discharge can change in amount depending on the time you are in your menstrual cycle. If you’re breastfeeding, ovulating or sexually aroused then the amount becomes a bit larger. This doesn’t require any treatment especially if there is no itching, burning or irritation in the vagina.
Credit goes to Doctor Simi Adedeji for educating people medically.
In case you have any questions about these discharges or you’ve discovered a new type of discharge that id didn’t mention, please comment it down below. I advise you to share this to as many people as possible to make people aware of themselves. Also kindly follow me for more.