Vaginal discharge is about as normal as having toast in the morning or being ghosted on Tinder, but according to a new report, 50% of women are too scared to talk about it.
In fact, a staggering 74% (almost three-quarters) of respondents think that females are taught from an early age to hide their experiences and to ‘be discreet’ when referencing anything to do with their intimate areas. This might have something to do about why we’re not so open about discharge, something that happens to nearly half the world’s population.
Charlea Samuel, Senior Brand Manager for Balance Activ, the company behind the report, says she wants women to feel confident about their bodies: “We want women to realise that the issues they face are incredibly common, normal and nothing to be embarrassed about.”
So, what is discharge?
The NHS says that vaginal discharge is a completely normal way for your body to keep itself clean and you shouldn’t be worried about finding it in your underwear unless it’s a particular colour or smell.
Discharge is how your body gets rid of bacteria and dead skin cells to keep your vaginal and urinary tracts free from infection. Like a deep clean, for your ‘down there’.
Along with health issues, your hormones can also have an impact on how much discharge you get, what colour it is and how often you get it. It can also be affected by your period, pregnancy and hormonal birth control.
But the colour of your discharge can be a key guide to how happy your vagina is feeling. According to Balance Activ’s report, 45% say they have experienced their vagina secreting a discharge they have no idea how to identify. So to help you out, here’s what the different colours of discharge mean…
Clear or white
This is the most ‘normal’ colour and you can expect to see this appearing regularly throughout your cycle, at different consistencies depending on the phase of your cycle. It can appear more sticky when you’re ovulating and your body’s readying you for pregnancy. If it’s clear and white but thick and lumpy – almost like cottage cheese (sorry!) – you should speak to a GP or pharmacist as this is a sign of thrush. Don’t worry, though, it can be easily solved with over-the-counter medications you can take at home.
Red or brown
This is usually explained as ‘spotting’ when you’re on the run-up to your period, but if you see red or brown discharge throughout your cycle, you should speak to a health professional as it can sometimes be a sign of infection.
Dark yellow or green
A slight yellowish tinge to discharge is okay in most cases – it can sometimes take on this hue due to illness or just part of the natural self-cleaning process – but if it’s a particularly bright or dark shade of yellow, you should take note.
Bold yellow discharge could be a sign of everything from pregnancy to STIs like chlamydia and gonorrhoea and bacterial vaginosis. Make sure to get it checked out by a doctor just to make sure everything’s okay.
Grey
Grey discharge is most commonly a sign of bacterial vaginosis, a common condition that causes smelly discharge, which can be treated with a course of antibiotics. Half of people with bacterial vaginosis don’t have symptoms, so it’s best to still get yourself checked out if you’re finding grey discharge.
If you find yourself dealing with BV, the NHS recommends not using perfumed products down there and cutting out smoking (not sure of the correlation, but we trust the doctors on this one!).
How to make sure you get healthy discharge
To avoid getting any infections or itchiness, it’s recommended that you keep your vagina clean by washing with mild, unscented soap on the outside only – as we’ve mentioned, the inside takes care of itself.
As always, if you’re worried that something might be wrong or want to find out more information, your local GP or sexual health clinic will be able to give you some professional answers.