Un-Stigma part 1: Is your discharge normal?

One of the questions I get asked the most is, "My discharge is (insert descriptor- white, smelly, chunky, brown, sticky etc.). Is that normal?"
The answer, my friends, isn't as cut and dry as you might hope.

I can't answer a question like that unless you KNOW what Your Normal Discharge is. For example, someone might have clear, stringy discharge every day. Then, one day it's white and creamy. That's a sign of infection. But someone else might have white, creamy discharge daily and that's their normal. That doesn't mean they have a constant infection. 

It's important to note your discharge regularly, so you can know what's normal and what's not. Now, if someone came to me and said "my discharge is grayish clear and it used to be white," I would be able to say, "that could be a sign of an infection!" 

Like most health-related things, any change worth noting is a change worth telling your doctor. A change in the shape or size of a mole, the color of a body part (nipples, labia, etc.), of the texture of the hair or skin. Discharge is no exception.

So when should I be worried?

As a general rule, your discharge should:

• be clear or white, whitish yellow
• be smooth
• have the consistency of egg-whites or just a slippery liquid, maybe be a little sticky or tacky
• have no UNUSUAL-FOR-YOU odor. Note, odor is different from smell. Every vagina smells like something. If it smells Different Than Your Normal, that's iffy.

Your discharge should not:

• have any 'chunks' in it
• smell 'fishy' or 'bad' to the point where you feel embarassed (this could be bacterial vaginosis)
• be green (could be trichomonas)
• be grayish, or greenish-yellow (could be a combination of multiple infections, or an STI)
• be curd-like or have the consistency of cottage cheese (typical of a yeast infection)
• cause discomfort, itching or burning (any infection could cause this)
• soak through your underwear (but it if does and this is your normal, there isn't necessarily anything wrong. It's only if the amount of discharge suddenly increases that you should talk to your doc.)