Definition

By Mayo Clinic Staff

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

See also

  1. Bacterial vaginosis
  2. Blighted ovum: What causes it?
  3. Cervical cancer
  4. What is cervical cancer? A Mayo Clinic expert explains
  5. Cervical cancer FAQs
  6. Cervical dysplasia: Is it cancer?
  7. Cervicitis
  8. Chlamydia trachomatis
  9. Endometrial cancer
  10. Gonorrhea
  11. Gynecologic Cancers
  12. Incompetent cervix
  13. Miscarriage
  14. Molar pregnancy
  15. Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
  16. Preterm labor
  17. Rectovaginal fistula
  18. Sex during vaginal infection: Is it harmful?
  19. STD symptoms
  20. Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
  21. STD testing
  22. Trichomoniasis
  23. Vaginitis
  24. Yeast infection (vaginal)
  25. Yeast infection during pregnancy