The Color Wheel of Vaginal Discharge
Vaginal discharge is normal and crucial for the vaginal tissues to remain healthy, provide lubrication, and maintain a clean vagina. It is the fluid secreted from tiny glands in the vagina and cervix that assists to get rid of old cells and debris. Its color can indicate a lot about the overall health.
While the quantity of vaginal discharge differs from person to person, the consistency, and color can also vary daily all through the menstrual cycle. It is important to acquaint yourself with your unique “normal” discharge so that you will identify if the changes are harmless, or if there is a culprit that should be arrested, and it’s time to see a doctor.
To help for better understanding, here are the diverse colors your vaginal discharge can produce and why.
Clear Discharge
Clear discharge is a healthy discharge with no indication of infection. It is usually odorless with a scant discharge of egg-white consistency. You may experience a more clear, slippery discharge just before ovulation, during sexual arousal, or pregnancy.
White, Creamy, or Milky Discharge
This is often totally normal. During the menstrual cycle, discharge that ranges from white and sticky to clear and slippery is familiar. Although, white discharge can be just fine particularly when accompanied by no bothersome symptoms, if the consistency is thin, watery, odorless with slight itching, you may have vaginal candidiasis. This is due to an overgrowth of “bad” bacteria in your vagina.
If you have other symptoms like swelling around the vagina, pain and/or burning during sex or while urinating, and rash around your genitals, you’re experiencing an overgrowth of yeast. Also, if your discharge switches to thick, curd-like, and milky white, you may be experiencing a vaginal yeast infection.
While having yeast and bacteria in your vagina is normal, they need to live in harmony for you to have optimal vaginal health.
Pink Discharge
This typically indicates the beginning of your cycle, which isn’t immediately an emergency! It is also quite common for some people to experience light bleeding after vaginal penetration. Rough sexual activity can cause little tears or irritation to the vagina or cervix.
Pink discharge may also indicate a health problem or implantation bleeding (an early sign of pregnancy).
Red or Brown Discharge
Red and/or brown discharge is absolutely expected during your period as it signals reproductive tract bleeding. At the beginning of your cycle to closer to the end, the color might range from cherry-red to rusty brick brown. Brown discharge is a result of idle blood inside the body for a while. When fresh blood sits inside the body, it mingles with oxygen, which turns it brown.
However, red or brown discharge with clotted blood and mucous could be a sign of infection, or something more serious like endometrial cancer.
Yellow or Green Discharge
This color discharge does not automatically mean something abnormal especially if it’s a one-off occurrence. Some people report this color change occurring whenever they take new vitamins or try certain foods.
If your discharge carries a light-yellow tinge to it and doesn't accompany odor or itching, more than likely, it's normal discharge. If the yellow is a more intense color and is thick or chunky or accompanied by other symptoms like itching or unusual odors, you likely have a bacterial infection or STI.
The yellow and/or green color is due to pus mixing with mucous to fight off the infection, which discreetly shows that your body is laboring to defend and cure itself!
Gray Discharge
Bacterial vaginosis is a likely culprit. BV is an imbalance (not infection!) of good and bad bacteria in your vagina – when there’s a change in the bacteria that reside in your vagina. Other symptoms may include excessive amounts of discharge, scents which some people often declare as a “fishy” smell, and, although less common, itching, redness, and pain during vaginal penetration or urination.
BV is super easy to treat with a dose of antibiotics or a prescription from your ob-gyn or health care provider. But if left untreated, it can increase the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases, and increase the risk of pelvic inflammatory disease.
When to See Your Healthcare Professional
Since every woman is different, it is good to give proper attention to vaginal discharge. For mild and manageable symptoms, keenly observe your diet, lifestyle, and menstrual cycle and patterns. Only you know what is normal for your body.
If you're experiencing prolonged discomfort and irregular symptoms, or drastic change in discharge, talk with your healthcare provider.
