Ever feel self-conscious about the way your vulva smells? It’s totally normal for vulvas to have a unique odor, and chances are, you’re the only one who smells it. Learn more.
Ask us anything. No judgments.
What’s the deal with discharge?
Someone asked us:
What’s up with discharge? What is normal and what isn’t?
This is such a common question. Thanks for asking and helping us set the record straight.
Discharge is a totally normal part of having a vagina. And there isn’t an exact way that it’s always supposed to look—the color, texture, and general appearance of discharge can vary. During puberty, vaginas start producing leukorrhea—a white or clear discharge. Maybe you remember noticing this for the first time when you were younger. The good news is, discharge is and has always been a natural part of having a vagina. It also has a characteristic scent, which is also totally normal. During ovulation, or if you’re aroused, discharge can be slippery and clear. Sometimes discharge can be white and thick. Cervical mucus changes throughout your menstrual cycle, so changing discharge is a kind of indicator of what’s up at various points during the month.
Another reason why it’s worth paying attention to your discharge: it can let you know when something’s off. If your vulva or discharge smells really bad, fishy, or yeasty, or if your vulva feels itchy or irritated, you should see a health care provider. These could be symptoms of something as common and easily treated as a yeast infection, or it could be an STD.
But simply having discharge isn’t an indication that there’s something wrong—in fact, it’s telling you that your body is doing something right. You’ve probably heard people say that vaginas are self-cleaning, and normal discharge is the evidence of that.
-Nina at Planned Parenthood
HINT: just past the vulva
FUN FACT: Vaginas can stretch in width AND depth.
Cutest toddler ever gives us the breakdown on penises and paginas.
Are we supposed to buy special products for our vagina’s pH level?
Ever worry that you’re not sufficiently concerned about your “feminine pH”? It’s a scary medical-sounding term that you’ve probably seen pop up in ads for everything from tampons to body wash. (And it makes me think of those little orange pH testing strips we used to use in high school chemistry, which I would prefer to keep out of my vagina.) One ad warns that “sex, your period, or even soap” could disrupt your vagina’s pH balance.
Wait a second…aren’t sex and periods (and soap, too!) pretty normal pieces of the whole vagina-having experience? Do we really need to buy special pH-regulating products to accommodate our fickle vaginas?
It turns out that while these ads are misleading, they’re not entirely wrong. Your vagina does have a normal pH level — around 4.5. This helps keep a healthy balance of yeast and bacteria. And if the pH level in your vagina gets too high, it can cause irritation or vaginitis. But the idea that sex and your period are inherently unhealthy or bad for the natural order of your vagina is totally false. The vagina has a pretty impressive self-regulating feature, and as long as you’re keeping things hygienic down there — that means washing your vulva with water or mild soap, changing pads or tampons frequently when you have your period, and avoiding douching — then chances are your pH level won’t be a problem.
And if you ever do suspect that something strange is going on with your vagina — like if it itches or burns, or you have unusual or bad smelling discharge — then you should see a health care provider right away. It might be a yeast infection or vaginitis, both of which are common and usually easily treatable.
-Alex at Planned Parenthood
Ah-maz-ing!
Gift idea for the person who has everything. Check.
pplm:
Vulvas are like fingerprints: every one is unique! Love your body: it’s “normal” to be different
A tasty and educational DIY.
Anonymous asked Planned Parenthood:
My vaginal fluid isn't always nice and clear, sometimes it's kind of thick and white. It usually happens in the middle of my cycle. I don't believe I have an infection of any kind since that's the only symptom, I don't have any itching or burning and it doesn't smell bad or taste weird (just kind of salty, which is normal?) I'm a virgin, so I highly doubt it's due to some std. I am a little concerned, though, because I read somewhere that the fluid is always supposed to be clear and tasteless.
We replied:
Thanks for your question! A lot of people wonder about this.
The thing you mentioned reading about vaginal fluid doesn’t sound right to us, because your cervical mucus is always changing color and texture depending on where you are in your cycle. That’s actually one of the awesome things about it: it gives you a hint about what’s going on inside your body. When you’re ovulating or turned on, your discharge is more likely to be slippery and clear. And during puberty, your vagina starts producing a white or clear discharge called leukorrhea. White and even thick discharge is normal –- you might notice it more at certain times in your cycle than others.
It’s worth paying attention to whatever is coming out of your vagina. Not only is your discharge an indicator of the pretty fascinating stuff your body’s up to at different times of the month, it’s also important (for everybody, but especially if you’re sexually active) to keep an eye out for any discharge funny business that could be a sign of an infection. If your vulva or your discharge smells really bad, fishy, or yeasty -– or if you’ve also got itchiness or irritation — you should see a health care provider.
Hope this helped!
Alex @ PPFA
“Tenting: The lifting of the uterus during sexual excitement that creates more space in the inner vagina.”— A sexual health tidbit from the glossary section of plannedparenthood.org
