Vaginal discharge
When to get medical advice
It's a good idea to see your GP or practice nurse or visit your nearest genito-urinary medicine (GUM) clinic or sexual health clinic if you're worried about a change in your vaginal discharge. It's unlikely to be caused by anything serious, but some tests and treatment may be recommended. Your doctor or nursemay: ask about your symptoms and sexual history such aswhether you're sexually active, you've have had a recent change in sexual partner,oruse contraception ask to carry out an examination of your vagina take swabs of discharge from your vagina using a device similar to a cotton bud so the samples can be checked for infection take a sample of blood so it can be tested for other sexually transmitted infections Treatment will depend on what's causing your symptoms, but often involves a short course of medication.
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Introduction
Find out about vaginal discharge, including what's normal, signs of a problem, what can cause unusual discharge, and when to get medical advice.
Normal vaginal discharge
Vaginal discharge is caused by mucus produced fromthe cervix, the lower part of the womb that leads into the vagina. It helps keeps your vagina moist and protects it from infection. Normal vaginal d
Unusual vaginal discharge
A change in yournormal vaginal discharge could be a sign of a problem. Unusual changes include: a change in colour such as grey, green, yellow, pink or blood-tinged discharge an unpleasant smell s
When to get medical advice
It's a good idea to see your GP or practice nurse or visit your nearest genito-urinary medicine (GUM) clinic or sexual health clinic if you're worried about a change in your vaginal discharge. It's
Causes of unusual vaginal discharge
Abnormal vaginal discharge is usually a sign of an infection. The most common causes are: bacterial vaginosis (BV) a bacterial infection of the vagina thrush an infection caused by overgrowth
Young girls and postmenopausal women
It's unusual for young girls to have abnormal vaginal discharge before they'vestarted puberty . See a GP if this happens. The causes mentionedabove are uncommon inyoung girls, but discharge couldbeth
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