Vaginal discharge, also called leukorrhea, is made up of both fluid and cells. Your vagina sheds discharge throughout the day.

Typical discharge helps keep the vagina healthy and clean. By keeping the tissues wet, it protects against infection and irritation. Vaginal discharge might seem different at times. It could be whitish and sticky or clear and watery. These changes usually depend on where you are in your period cycle. It's common for the amount, color and consistency all to change.

Sometimes though, vaginal discharge can be a symptom that something's wrong. You might have discharge that smells bad or looks strange to you. Or you might feel itching or pain. If so, contact your health care provider to see if you might need to have the discharge checked.

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April 25, 2023