Your Vaginal Discharge Color: When It’s Normal, and When It’s Not

Your vaginal discharge serves several crucial purposes: It helps clean out the vagina, prevents vaginal dryness, fights off infections, and can even help you get pregnant. The cervical mucus helps protect sperm on its route through your reproductive tract, making it more likely to find the egg.

In fact, the cervical mucus method is a strategy where you track your discharge quality throughout the menstrual cycle. This data can help you see when you’re most fertile, which can help you make decisions for family planning. You may also notice some expected changes to your discharge if you’re breastfeeding, using hormonal birth control, going through menopause, having surgery on your cervix, or if something is amiss. In this video, learn the meanings behind different discharge colors and other qualities as a warning sign.

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Written by:

Lauren Smith, MA

Lauren Smith, MA, has worked in health journalism since 2017. Before joining GoodRx, she was the senior health editor and writer for HealthiNation.

Reviewed by:

Karen Hovav, MD, FAAP

Karen Hovav, MD, FAAP, has more than 15 years of experience as an attending pediatrician. She has worked in a large academic center in an urban city, a small community hospital, a private practice, and an urgent care clinic.

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