Vaginal discharge can sometimes surprise a woman, whether it's its presence, amount, texture, or color. However, its presence is as natural as saliva. Regularly recording your discharge can give you useful information about your body, your menstrual cycle, and your fertile window.
What exactly is vaginal discharge?
Vaginal discharge is the collective name for any fluid (excluding menstruation) that leaves the vagina. Its main functions are to remove old cells from the vagina, provide vaginal lubrication, protect vaginal tissues from infection and irritation, and maintain the health of the reproductive organs. However, it also fulfills its function in intimate life.
Its amount can vary throughout the month, as can its texture and color. These changes are mainly due to your reproductive hormones that control menstruation, libido, and sexual activity, but vaginal discharge also changes throughout life, such as after giving birth or during menopause. ( 1 )
Cervical fluid
One type of vaginal discharge is cervical mucus. It comes from glands in and around the cervix.
Its main task is:
- Helping transport sperm to the egg during the fertile period
- Providing a protective barrier after ovulation to prevent anything from entering the uterus
It is the cervical fluid, its amount and consistency, that changes the most during the menstrual cycle with fluctuating hormones: when estrogen levels rise before ovulation, cervical fluid thins. This makes it easier for sperm to move through the cervix. As progesterone levels increase in the luteal phase, the consistency thickens. ( 2 )
By tracking your cycle and regularly recording your cervical fluid, you can better understand these patterns and find out what is normal for you.
Cervical mucus monitoring to determine fertility
Cervical mucus and its variability throughout your cycle can tell you a lot about what phase of your cycle you are in and whether you are approaching your fertile period, when your chances of pregnancy are higher. This is why cervical mucus monitoring is one of the three main pillars of the symptothermal method . ( 4 )
Do you want to learn how cervical mucus changes throughout your cycle and what its appearance says about your cycle and fertility? Everything you need to know about the functioning of the menstrual cycle, a woman's fertile period, or specifically about changes in cervical mucus can be found in this webinar . If you already know the basics and want to learn how to effectively determine the fertile period of your cycle and use it as a form of natural contraception or for pregnancy planning, you can choose the follow-up webinar .
Does hormonal contraception affect vaginal secretions?
Birth control pills that contain progestin, a synthetic version of the hormone progesterone, can thicken cervical mucus. This makes it harder for sperm to penetrate the cervix, reducing the chance of conception. Women taking hormonal birth control pills may experience thicker cervical mucus or significantly less mucus. ( 3 )
Vaginal discharge versus vaginal infection
If the balance of bacteria that normally live in the vagina changes, a condition called a vaginal infection can occur . ( 5 )
This usually manifests itself in:
- Discharge of an unusual color (grayish-white, yellow-green)
- Discharge of a thick, lumpy consistency
- Itching, burning
- Redness of the intimate area
- By smell
- Pain or burning when urinating
If the symptoms are familiar to you, contact your doctor as soon as possible to suggest effective and quick treatment.
However, every woman can prevent similar problems in everyday life, through proper hygiene, a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle, but also by choosing menstrual protection products that do not dry out or irritate the intimate area too much.
Do you have questions about the menstrual cycle and women's health? Ask in our free Femvie consultation .
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With love
The Femvie team
