Your vagina secretes a liquid known as vaginal discharge, which is influenced by your hormones, meaning it’s different depending on where you are in your cycle. There is also a normal increase in the amount of discharge around mid-cycle. 

Your discharge can tell you a lot about your vaginal health. To better understand it, here are four things you should look out for.

1. The Color

This is one of the first signs to look out for. Your discharge can vary greatly in terms of color, and this can give you solid clues into what’s going on inside your body. Follow the chart below to keep track of your vaginal health.

2. The Texture

Depending on the phase of your cycle, vaginal discharge can vary from being pasty and sticky to transparent and stretchy. All of these changes are normal. However, cottage cheese-like or foamy discharge could indicate an underlying issue. 

3. The Odor

Normal discharge has a mild scent or no scent at all. If your discharge has a strong, unpleasant smell, it could be a sign that something is wrong.

4. The Quantity

The quantity of discharge varies greatly from woman to woman and between the different phases of your cycle. Start to observe what your own individual patterns are to be able to spot any drastic changes. 

More from

Common Infections

The Ins and Outs of Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)

Read now

Related

 

Body

The Ins and Outs of Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)

Read more