Vag!nal secretions or discharge
Other than your period as part of your natural
menstrual cycle, it’s normal to produce clear or
white secretions (discharge) from your vag!na.
This mucus is produced naturally from the neck
of the womb, known as the cervix.
“Vag!nal discharge is not ‘always a bad sign’,”
says Dr Elneil. “There is a myth that copious
clear or white discharge is associated with
sexually transmitted infections.
Changes in the
amount of discharge can be 100% hormonal – in
other words, linked to the menstrual cycle,
pregnancy or menopause.”
The character and amount of vag!nal discharge
varies throughout your menstrual cycle. Around
the time that your ovary releases an egg
(ovulation), your discharge usually becomes
thicker and stretchy, like raw egg white.
Healthy discharge doesn’t have a strong smell or
colour. You may feel an uncomfortable wetness,
but you shouldn’t have any itching or soreness
around your vag!na. If there are any changes to
your discharge that aren’t normal for you, such
as a change in colour or if it starts to smell or
itch, see your GP as you might have an
infection.
You can find out more about vag!nal
discharge, pregnancy and the menopause.
Bacteria in the vag!na
And they’re there to protect it. Professor
Ronnie Lamont, spokesperson for the Royal
College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists,
says: “The vag!na contains more bacteria than
anywhere else in the body after the bowel, but
the bacteria are there for a reason.”
The good bacteria inside the vag!na:
provide “numerical dominance”: they
outnumber other potential harmful
bacteria that might enter the vag!na
help to keep the vag!na’s pH balance
(how acidic the vag!na is) at an even
level, which helps to keep the balance of
bacteria healthy
can produce bacteriocins (naturally
occurring antibiotics) to reduce or kill
other bacteria entering the vag!na
produce a substance that stops invading
bacteria sticking to the vag!na walls,
which prevents bacteria from invading
the tissues
If the balance of bacteria is disturbed, this can
lead to infection and inflammation.
Bacteria
called lactobacilli help to keep the vag!na’s
pH balance at its normal low level (less than pH
4.5), which also prevents the growth of other
organisms. If the pH of the vag!na increases (in
other words, if it gets less acidic), the quality
or amount of lactobacilli can fall and other
bacteria can multiply. This can result in
infections such as bacterial vaginosis or thrush,
which can cause symptoms including itching,
irritation and abnormal discharge.
Washing your vag!na
It’s a good idea to avoid perfumed soaps, gels
and antiseptics as these can affect the healthy
balance of bacteria and pH levels in the vag!na,
and cause irritation.
Use plain, unperfumed soaps to wash the area
around the vag!na (the vulva) gently every day.
The vag!na will clean itself inside your body with
natural vag!nal secretions (discharge). “During
your period, washing more than once a day may
be helpful,” says Dr Elneil, who points out that
keeping the perineal area (between the vag!na
and anus) clean is important too. “Good perineal
hygiene is necessary, by washing that area at
least once a day using your normal bathing
routines.”
“All women are different,” says Professor
Lamont. “Some may wash with perfumed soap
and not notice any problems. But if a woman has
vulval irritation or symptoms, then one of the
first things you can do is to use non-allergenic,
plain soaps to see if that helps.”
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