What are the causes of virginal discharge?

Virginal discharge is a natural occurrence that happens when a woman’s body is preparing for sexual activity. The discharge itself is an accumulation of fluid and cells that are secreted from the vagina. This fluid helps to keep the vagina clean and may be more or less noticeable depending on the time of the month and certain activities. There are many things that can cause changes in your virginal discharge, with stress, diet, menstruation, pregnancy, and infections being some of the most common causes.

Virginal discharge, more commonly referred to as VVD, is a natural and harmless part of being a woman. It’s caused by a buildup of a clear fluid called cervical mucus, which is secreted by the cervix and vagina. The fluid helps to keep the vagina clean, lubricated, and healthy.

So what causes it? There are multiple factors that contribute to the production of VVD, including:

  • An increase in estrogen in the body as a result of puberty
  • Emotional stress
  • Hormonal changes associated with ovulation and menstruation
  • Physical activity or exercise
  • Increased sexual arousal or arousal from sexual intercourse
  • Certain medications or supplements (such as birth control pills)
  • Tight clothing

There are also some diseases or health conditions that can cause VVD:

  1. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including chlamydia, gonorrhea and trichomoniasis
  2. Cervical cancer (which is extremely rare among young women)

Virginal discharge can be a tricky subject to talk about, but it’s so important to understand. Whether it’s a thin, clear substance that you can barely see or a thick, white-ish substance that’s more noticeable, it seems like it should be pretty common for many people out there—however, I’ve found in my experience and research (as well as from reading many other personal accounts) that an abnormal amount of this is actually a very common symptom of some major health problems, including vaginitis (which is inflammation of the vagina), urinary tract infection (UTI), yeast infection and even cervical cancer.

Why is the subject so hard to talk about? Perhaps because when we’re young girls, we’re given very little information about what our bodies are going through. This only makes matters worse when we get older and have no idea where this stuff comes from. Many women don’t know what this discharge is supposed to look or feel like—and worse yet, if they think something is amiss with their vaginal health and they have no way of knowing otherwise, they may assume that something is wrong and avoid going to the doctor until it’s too late.

This may sound scary, but the good news is that I’m here to help

Many times, the cause of the vaginal discharge is bacterial vaginosis (BV). BV is caused by an imbalance in the normal bacteria that exist in your vagina. Normally, there are many kinds of bacteria living in your vagina. There are “good” bacteria that keep a healthy balance and help prevent bad bacteria from growing. When the good and bad bacteria get out of balance, certain bacteria can grow out of control. This causes an infection called BV.

In addition to causing a vaginal discharge, BV also causes a change in vaginal odor, burning with urination, itching, irritation, and pain during sex or while you are having your period.

The symptoms of bacterial vaginosis can be treated easily with antibiotics. If you have these symptoms or have been diagnosed with overseas travel clinic NYC menstrual pain you should see your health care provider for diagnosis and treatment.

When we’re talking about vaginal discharge, it’s common to say that there are different types—but if you’re not familiar with the term, you might wonder what exactly that means. More than just a way of classifying your discharge, the “types” of discharge actually refer to what causes them, and they can help you identify if something might be amiss in your health.

  • A most common cause is hormone fluctuations in your menstrual cycle
  • Another reason for discharge could be bacteria or yeast infections (or both)
  • If you don’t know why your body is producing discharge, talk to your doctor

For the most part, vaginal discharge is normal and healthy. However, there can be occasions where the number of discharges increases or changes color. This could indicate an infection and warrants a visit to your doctor. There are several potential causes of abnormal discharge, so let’s take a look at them so you can get some relief.