VAGINAL DISCHARGE

Feeling an urgent need to urinate, Jessica rushed into the bathroom to void urine. As she undressed, an unpleasant smell hit her nose and on further observation the color of the discharge on her underwear further confused her. This probably informs the itching and redness she had been feeling in the past two days.

Do you know the color, texture and smell of your vaginally discharge is very indicative of the state of your vaginally health andand also the phase of cycle?

Yes it is

Generally there are general characteristics of healthy vagina discharge and unhealthy vagina discharge. The changes in the consistency in the body of a woman is fuelled by the changes in the different hormonal levels through the cycle. Generally, onsistency and color change through the cycle of a woman.

HEALTHY VAGINAL DISCHARGE

Healthy vagina discharge generally have no smell, usually transparent to white in color with no clumps in consistency

 OVULATION

Every month or every cycle, the consistency of the vagina discharge changes to. VAGINAL discharge is usually egg White transparent, stretchy and slippery withe a jelly like texture.

 SEXUAL AROUSAL

Clear to milky white discharge during sexual arousal is absolutely normal. The fluid cleans, lubricates and protects the vagina.

PREGNANCY

A lot of women have increased VAGINAL discharge during pregnancy. As pregnancy progresses, the discharge typically gets heavier and more noticeable. In the last week of pregnancy VAGINAL discharge may have streaks of sticky, jelly-like pink mucus which is a sign that the body is getting ready for the delivery of the baby.

The body produces excess discharge to prevent infection from travelling up the vagina to the womb during pregnancy.

 PINK OR RED VAGINAL DISCHARGE

Red, brown or pink discharge can indicate bleeding which is normal during menstruation and sometimes during Ovulation.

However, it could also indicate an STI, ectopic pregnancy or pelvic inflammatory disease. If you experience red or brown discharge through the entire month and outside of your menstruation, this may have an underlying issue that may need your doctor's attention.

UNHEALTHY VAGINAL DISCHARGE

Signs of unhealthy VAGINAL discharge includes unpleasant smell, irregular color such as green or yellow, itchy or sour vagina and painful urination

YELLOW OR GREEN DISCHARGE

Yellow and green VAGINAL discharge are unhealthy VAGINAL discharge. When accompanied with a fishy smell or an unpleasant smell, it may indicate bacterial vaginosis. When accompanied with itching, burning, abdominal pain and painful urination. It could be a symptom of a sexually transmitted disease or infection such as gonorrhea, chlamydia or trichomoniasis.

It is important to know VAGINAL discharge is normal when healthy. However many feminine products and practices can alter the integrity of the vagina and cause unhealthy VAGINAL discharge.