For example, a fishy-smelling discharge that may be yellow, green, or gray is usually a sure indication that you have vaginosis, which can easily be treated with antibiotics. A cottage cheese-like discharge with accompanying itchiness means you probably have a yeast infection. A “frothy” vaginal discharge that has a scent like rotten eggs may be trichomoniasis. If you have any of these discharges, your vagina wants you to go to a doctor, stat.
5. You're Ovulating
When a person is ovulating, they have up to 30 times more vaginal discharge than they have at any other point in the month.
“ Ovulation impacts every body differently , and not [everyone] experiences the same symptoms,” Dr. Peter Rizk , women's health expert for Fairhaven Health, told Bustle for a previous article. “ [Cervical mucus] should be abundant, thin (even watery to some degree) and very stretchy. It should be able to stretch between your fingers without breaking and will not hold its form.” Health
So, yes, all that extra discharge in your undies is supposed to be there when you're ovulating. It also means if you're planning to have a child , this is a good time to work on that.
6.You Should Have Used A Condom
Funky smells? Discharge like you've never seen? Unexplained pain or burning? Vaginal blisters, sores , and something that looks like it's a cross between a cauliflower and a barnacle? Yeah, your vagina really, really wants you to go to a gynecologist immediately.
“Normal vaginal discharge is white or transparent, thick or thin, and mostly odorless and can vary based on time of the month, pregnancy, or various contraceptives,” Dr. Loanzon says. “Vaginal discharge that causes itching, ulcerations or cuts, burning sensation, vaginal bleeding, swelling or pain should be evaluated by a health care professional.”Health
In these cases, it's best not to dawdle and address the issue sooner rather than later.
7. You're About To Get Your Period
Although the vaginal discharge that appears right before your period is not quite as much as what you get when you are ovulating, it's still more than the rest of the month. It's also during this time that vaginas may be more sensitive, according to studies .
While not every person with a uterus experiences the same premenstrual symptoms , there's a good chance that if you've been getting your period for a while now, you know exactly what those symptoms are. Noticing how your vagina changes throughout your cycle can clue you into when your period is about to come.
8. You're Turned On
When you're aroused, your vagina usually knows it even before your brain does. The stimulation of the vagina lets your brain know it's time to increase blood flow to the genitals , so as to reach and maintain arousal. At this time, you can feel a tingling in your vagina as the vulva and other parts of your genitals get engorged with that blood. This can happen even when you're not feeling a sexual sensation. In other words, you might be in a meeting, but your vagina is reliving that hot Saturday night in between the sheets.
9.You have a vaginal disorder
Although it's not uncommon to have pain occasionally during sexual intercourse, which may be due to lubrication, chafing, or other factors, it's not common to have pain all the time. And studies have found that women who experience frequent pain may not report this pain — and doctors may not ask about it. This can lead to social isolation.
That's why it's so important to speak up if your vagina is hurting on the regular. “Vaginal pain, also known as vulvodynia , vestibulodynia , or vestibulitis , refers to spontaneous or induced pain on penetration at the vaginal opening or tenderness with pressure,” Dr. Loanzon says. “Evaluation by a gynecologist can exclude other causes before giving this diagnosis.”
Endometriosis can also be another possibility. Again, you can't know for sure what's going on until you see your health care provider.Health
