Dr. Christine Traxler MD
I am Dr. Christine Traxler MD — a family practitioner with a special interest in obstetrics and gynecology. I graduated from the University of Minnesota Medical School in 1986 and did my internship and residency at the Fairview University Family Practice Residency at Smiley’s point. After that, I worked as a locum tenens physician for a couple of years treating emergency medicine patients. I then signed onto work at the Minnesota Valley Medical Center Hospital and Clinic, where I delivered hundreds of babies and treated thousands of women, many of whom dealt with issues related to vaginal discharge.
I learned that vaginal discharge comes in many forms and can help women understand what is going on with their bodies. I taught women to follow their vaginal discharge as a way of understanding their menstrual cycles. Some women suffered from infertility because they didn’t understand that clear, mucus from the vagina usually meant that ovulation had occurred and that they were, in fact, fertile but just didn’t understand that this stretchy, clear vaginal discharge meant that it was time to have sex for the best in fertility.
I treated many women with white vaginal discharge that was associated with yeast infections. This thick, clumpy vaginal discharge was often associated with itching and burning. It was easily treatable with anti-yeast medications. I taught them that over the counter vaginal creams and suppositories worked as well as prescription antifungals in the vast majority of cases so they could manage their symptoms at home should they happen again.
Yellow vaginal discharge and green vaginal discharge was another thing altogether. While some women had normal yellow vaginal discharge, some, in fact had infections that needed to be treated. Green, smelly vaginal discharge almost always represented infection and antibiotics were necessary to treat the condition. Chlamydia and Trichomoniasis can be cultured and treated accordingly with anti-infectious medications.
I encountered many women in pregnancy who had pink vaginal discharge and women who were not pregnant that encountered this type of discharge as well. I spent many hours talking about this pink vaginal discharge and what it might mean. In non-pregnant women, pink vaginal discharge usually meant that the cervix was irritated and bled slightly during intercourse, causing a pink vaginal discharge. This was often the case in pregnancy, where pink vaginal discharge didn’t mean that the pregnancy was in any danger.
In this website, you will learn about the various kinds of cervical mucus and vaginal discharge you might encounter and will learn when to see your doctor about it. For example, brown vaginal discharge generally means that old blood is coming out of the uterus and it often signifies the end of a period—something you don’t need to see your doctor about. Smelly brown vaginal discharge can mean infection if it is associated with vaginal burning and/or itching so it is something you may want to see your doctor about.
I chose to be a part of this site because I believe that every woman deserves to understand the meaning of her vaginal discharge and cervical mucus. It puts women in charge of something that has for so long been confusing to many women. Happy reading!