Many women consider vaginal discharge grossly appalling – it’s wet, tacky, slippery, wets their clothes and sometimes has a really bad smell. Yet vaginal discharge is a normal part of the vagina’s self-cleansing mechanism, and usually lasts for as long as your reproductive system is “viable.” But while some watery or slimy discharge is normal every now and then, there are times when it appears to be whitish green, pale green or dark green, bearing a strong, fishy odor and making your vagina feel itchy.
Most of the time, green discharge from vagina is a sign of infection, most commonly a sexually transmitted one.
How can you know for sure? Here are X real-life stories about neon green discharge that you’ll want to read.
1. I have recently had sex with a guy I knew for some time, and I noticed some kind of green colored discharge coming out my vagina ever since. It’s thick, clumpy and reminds me of cottage cheese. It smells so bad that I need to change my underwear very frequently, like two or three times a day. There’s a lot of it, and I am worries that I might have contracted an STD. We didn’t use protection, but he told me that he was clean, so I didn’t insist. What should I do now? Should I go to a doctor? What does green discharge mean?
AllDischarge.com Expert Answers:
It’s no doubt that you have contracted a sexually transmitted disease. Unfortunately, this happens very often, and most commonly if you engage in unprotected sex. As I said before, guys would do literally anything to get laid, even risk your health and safety for a couple of seconds of pleasure. He even risked his own health by engaging in unprotected sex, which kind of speaks for itself. However, there is a good chance that he didn’t know that he had an infection, as most STDs are usually asymptomatic in men. They can pass it to their partner(s) through sexual contact, but they may never experience any symptoms.
As for the whitish green discharge you experience, this is clearly a sign of infection. You say that there’s a very strong odor, which clearly shows that there’s something wrong down there. There are several sexually transmitted diseases that might cause your discharge to be chunky and snot like: gonorrhea, Chlamydia, trichomoniasis, even Human Papillomavirus (HPV). They are easily spread through sexual contact, and common symptoms include green discharge, bad odor, itching, swelling, soreness, and pelvic pain. Have you experience other symptoms except for the abnormal mucus?
Another possible cause of the discharge is bacterial vaginosis. Sexual contact may stimulate it, but it’s typically caused by douching, incorrect wiping, or the use of feminine hygiene products. The color of the discharge ranges from milky white to pale green, but it doesn’t necessarily have a bad odor.
I recommend that you seek medical attention as soon as possible. If left untreated, infections can cause a lot of serious consequences, including infertility. Make sure that you closely follow your doctor’s instructions as to how to take your medication, and don’t forget to ask him about how you should address the excessive amounts of discharge and the bad smell.
Read also:
What’s Causing Green Vaginal Discharge & How Can You Address It?
8 Frequently Asked Questions About Green Mucus Vaginal Discharge
2. Recently I’ve noticed that my vaginal discharge is completely different as compared how it’s usually (clear, watery and odorless). It’s thick, frothy, and the most worrisome part is the color – it’s brownish green! It looks absolutely disgusting, and I get a weird feeling in my stomach whenever I see it. There’s also a fishy smell coming from my vagina. It’s embarrassing! Sometimes the discharge wets my underpants and the smell becomes easily noticeable. I haven’t had any sex for the past couple of months, so it can’t be an STD. If the discharge wasn’t green, I would say that it’s just another yeast infection. I get them pretty easily. Why is my discharge green instead of clear or white? I haven’t done anything out of the ordinary, except for using a new soap for washing down there. What do you think I should do?
AllDischarge.com Expert Answers:
It’s not uncommon for women to experience snotty discharge despite not having engaged in sexual activity. A frequent cause of green discharge is bacterial vaginosis, which may be stimulated by intercourse but is most frequently caused when the balance in your vagina’s bacterial flora is upset. You mentioned that you had recently used a new soap for washing down there. This is probably the culprit – most hygiene products mess with your vagina’s acidic pH, causing irritation and creating a breeding ground for bacteria to thrive in. It’s not the case to talk about an STD since they are spread through sexual contact, which you say you didn’t have. Hygiene products are a common cause of bacterial vaginosis, so this is most likely what’s causing abnormal discharge.
The best thing you can do now is seeing your GP or going to a sexual health clinic and having a few vaginal swabs taken. This will help identify the underlying cause of the discharge. Your doctor will prescribe you appropriate treatment for staving off the infection. Once you’ve finished the treatment, change your hygiene habits. Give up any feminine hygiene products, and use only plain tap water to keep your genital area clean and fresh. You may sometimes use mild, unscented soap, but occasionally. Wear specially cotton underwear to let air circulate and ventilate your skin, and avoid tampons or panty liners, as they usually change your vagina’s pH and can also result in bacterial vaginosis. You may use sanitary pads instead, which won’t mess with your vagina’s environment.
You may also want to be careful with what you eat. Avoid sugary and fatty foods, as they are often causing yeast infections. Drink a lot of water to help flush out toxins and bacteria. Eat fruits and vegetables, and add yoghurt to your diet. Yoghurt is a natural source of living cultures, maintaining the balance between good and bad bacteria in your gut.
3. It’s embarrassing to talk about this problem, but I need to know if there’s something wrong with me. A few days ago I noticed something greenish on the toilet paper. My undies had a slightly greenish color too, and they looked gross. There was no smell whatsoever, but the discharge was very thick, clumpy and lotion like. I have never experienced this before, and I don’t know what could have caused it. I only have sex with my fiance. My period is due in two days – can this be a sign of pregnancy? Please advise!
AllDischarge.com Expert Answers:
Many women are too embarrassed to talk about such problems with their doctor, which often results in major inconveniences, discomfort, and a great health risk as well. It concerns your health, so you should forget about embarrassment and tell your gyn about your symptoms.
To answer your question, there is a slight chance that you are pregnant. The amount of vaginal discharge tends to increase if you are pregnant due to stepped-up estrogen levels. However, your discharge doesn’t sound normal. You say that it’s green and thick, which usually indicates the presence of an infection rather than pregnancy. But if there’s no smell, you may as well be perfectly healthy. Most sexually transmitted diseases would have caused a bad, fishy odor, as well as itching, swelling, burning and other such symptoms, but you’re not experiencing them. Bacterial vaginosis, on the other hand, would have caused a really bad smell, which you don’t experience either. This doesn’t mean that you still can’t have an infection. Symptoms are different from woman to woman, and many infections are asymptomatic. In your case, you could have very mild bacteria vaginosis, which explains why you have abnormal discharge but no smell or other symptoms.
Instead of waiting to take a pregnancy test, you should better see your doctor about this issue so he can diagnose the underlying issue. If there is nothing to worry about, you should take a pregnancy test. Wait at least 10 days after the date of the impregnation before taking the test. Otherwise, the result will not be relevant.
Read also:
Green Discharge While Pregnant? Here’s What You Need to Know About It
4. I am two months pregnant and I have noticed some sort of weird discharge from my vagina. It’s dark green and gooey, and looks very much like yeast infection. My vagina is itchy, red and swollen, and I don’t know what’s causing these symptoms. I haven’t had sex for longer than two months, and except for some new foods I’ve started eating, I haven’t done anything unusual (definitely not something that could have caused the discharge). Will my baby be safe? Is there any risk of miscarriage?
AllDischarge.com Expert Answers:
The first thing I will do now is urging you to see your gyn/obs as soon as possible. Your symptoms indicate the presence of an infection, which can have repercussions on both you and your little one. Don’t wait for them to go away because they won’t, and this will only allow the infection to spread in your body and eventually enter your bloodstream.
There are several factors that might cause green vaginal discharge – in your case, pregnancy seems to be the culprit. Your body is going through major hormonal changes, which might have upset the balance of good and bad bacteria in your vaginal flora. When good bacteria are no longer capable of controlling the growth of bad bacteria, you develop a mild infection also known as bacterial vaginosis. It’s not necessarily a matter of concern since symptoms usually go away on their own, but you should still see your doctor to ensure that there’s nothing to worry about. Many times, bacterial vaginosis can have a negative impact on the course of pregnancy, possibly affecting the development of your baby.
Except for hormonal changes, bacterial vaginosis may also be caused by douching and using hygiene products. Have you recently used scented soap, sprays or deodorants to keep your intimate area? Many pregnant women think that, by frequently cleaning down there, they’ll stay healthy – but this is oftentimes wrong. Hygiene products mess with your vagina’s pH and cause irritations. Moreover, they also eliminate the good bacteria from the vaginal flora, which in turn allows bad bacteria to grow.
You need to stop using any soap for your intimate hygiene. Rely on plain tap water instead, which will help you stay clean and fresh without messing with your bacterial flora. You can ask your doctor about the best things to do while pregnant, and she will certainly give you a list of do’s and don’t’s you should carefully follow.
5. Last week I had a C section and I have started experiencing greenish yellow discharge ever since. It’s clumpy, like cottage cheese, and has a really bad odor that reminds me of fish. Plus, my vagina itches, it’s red, and looks quite swollen. I haven’t had any sex for longer than eight months, so I’m sure I can’t have an STD or yeast infection. What else might be causing abnormal discharge? I don’t want to freak out because I know that some discharge is normal, but this just doesn’t look right!
AllDischarge.com Expert Answers:
After birth, your body is still very vulnerable to bacteria and viruses, so there’s a good chance that you have an infection. Your symptoms sound very much like BV, but there shouldn’t be any itching. You could have contracted an STD if your intimate area has come into contact with an infected towel, piece or cloth, or anything else, which is quite likely to happen in a hospital. Have you talked to your doctor about your problem? If not, then you should, and as fast as possible. You’re breastfeeding, and if the infection enters your bloodstream, your baby might be at risk. As such, addressing the underlying issue immediately is of paramount importance if you want to ensure that both you and your baby are safe.
I would be extremely careful if it’s an infection. Follow your doctor’s treatment as precisely as possible to stave it off as fast as possible. Keep in mind that symptoms might go away relatively quickly, but this doesn’t also mean that the infection has been cleared up. Don’t stop taking the treatment if your doctor doesn’t instruct you to. Follow-up treatment may be necessary to ensure that your body is functioning well. Have your gyn examine you regularly to see whether there is anything wrong down there. If the green discharge comes back, tell him about it immediately.