Symptoms
Vaginal discharge: what’s normal and when to get care
Is this an emergency?
This is not an emergency service. Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room if you have:
- Fever with pain in the lower belly or pelvis
- Severe belly pain, vaginal bleeding or fainting if you could be pregnant
- High fever with chills, vomiting that won’t stop, or feeling very ill
Help lines
Clear or white vaginal discharge that changes with your cycle is normal. Discharge with a new color, a bad smell, itching or burning is usually an infection: yeast, bacterial vaginosis, trichomoniasis, chlamydia or gonorrhea. By video, the doctor evaluates you and, if needed, gives you a lab order for a discharge test. If you have fever with pelvic pain, get in-person care today.
Other names: Abnormal vaginal discharge, Vaginal secretions
Possible causes
Yeast infection
Thick white discharge with itching and burning
Bacterial vaginosis
Gray or off-white discharge with a fishy smell
Trichomoniasis
Clear, white, yellowish or greenish discharge, sometimes with a smell; often no symptoms
Chlamydia
New discharge, bleeding after sex or burning when you pee; often no symptoms
Gonorrhea
Discharge, burning when you pee or bleeding between periods; confirmed with a test
Irritation or a forgotten tampon
Soaps, douches or sprays; a forgotten tampon causes a strong bad smell
On this page(7)
What vaginal discharge is normal?
According to MedlinePlus, glands in the cervix and the vaginal walls normally make clear mucus. It can look white or yellowish on your underwear once it dries. The amount changes through your cycle, and it normally increases around ovulation, in pregnancy and with sexual arousal.
Discharge is abnormal when its amount, color (for example green or brown), texture or smell changes, especially if it comes with itching, burning or irritation.
Causes of abnormal discharge
The CDC lists bacterial vaginosis, trichomoniasis and yeast infection (candidiasis) as the most common causes, and notes that chlamydia and gonorrhea can also cause discharge. These clues help, but they are not a diagnosis: the CDC warns that symptoms alone are not enough, which is why a test is often needed.
- Thick and white, with itching: often a yeast infection.
- Gray or off-white with a fishy smell: often bacterial vaginosis.
- Yellow-green, sometimes with a smell, itching or burning: can be trichomoniasis, an STI that, according to the CDC, causes no symptoms in about 70% of people.
- New discharge with bleeding after sex or burning when you pee: can be chlamydia or gonorrhea.
- A strong bad smell: sometimes a forgotten tampon.
- Irritation without infection: soaps, douches, sprays, detergents or spermicides; and after menopause, dryness from low estrogen.
How we help with vaginal discharge by video
You see Dr. Diana Nieves Castro, MD, a Puerto Rico–licensed general practice physician with several years of emergency-department experience, in English or Spanish. She asks what the discharge looks like, how long you have had it, whether there is itching, odor, pain or fever, whether you may have been exposed to an STI, and which medicines you use.
We evaluate, diagnose and treat. If needed, we give you a lab order for a discharge test or STI test at a lab near you, and we go over the result with you. If appropriate, the doctor prescribes and we send your prescription to your pharmacy. If you need a pelvic exam, we refer you. See also STI testing and treatment.
Your privacy matters: join from a private place; visits are not recorded. Don’t send intimate photos by email or text message; if the doctor needs to see something, it happens only inside your secure visit link.
If you are under 21, your parent or legal guardian must sign the consent, be on camera for the whole visit and show photo ID.
A doctor visit costs US$79, the same price for every age. Request a visit online 24/7 — we confirm your time by email or text.
Your doctor
Dr. Diana Nieves Castro, MD
General practice physician
Several years of emergency-department experience.
Founding Executive Director of The Health Initiative.
If you are pregnant
We do not provide pregnancy care. If you are pregnant and notice new discharge, a smell, itching or bleeding, contact your OB-GYN soon. If you have severe pain or bleeding, or feel faint, go to the emergency room.
What you can do at home
MedlinePlus recommends:
- Wash the area with water only, no soap, and dry well.
- Don’t douche: it removes the healthy bacteria that protect the vagina.
- Avoid sprays, fragrances and powders in the genital area.
- Wear cotton underwear and loose clothes, which helps a lot in Puerto Rico’s heat.
- Always wipe from front to back.
- Use condoms to avoid getting or passing on an infection.
When to get in-person care or go to the ER
MedlinePlus advises getting care right away if discharge comes with fever or pain in the pelvis or belly: it can be pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which usually starts from untreated chlamydia or gonorrhea and needs prompt treatment. For your safety, go to the emergency room or call 911 if you have:
- Fever with pain in the lower belly or pelvis
- Severe belly pain, vaginal bleeding or fainting if you could be pregnant
- High fever with chills, vomiting that won’t stop, or feeling very ill
Frequently asked questions
What color of vaginal discharge is normal?
Is yellow discharge an infection?
Can I get treatment for discharge by video?
Does my partner need treatment?
About this page
Author: The Health Initiative
Medical care provided by Dr. Diana Nieves Castro, MD (PR license 24027)
Disclosure: Founding Executive Director of The Health Initiative
Published: 2026-10-02 · Updated: 2026-10-02
Sources (5)
- Vaginal itching and discharge – adult and adolescent (MedlinePlus, NIH) (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-10-02)
- Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) (MedlinePlus, NIH) (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-10-02)
- CDC: Diseases Characterized by Vulvovaginal Itching, Burning, Irritation, Odor, or Discharge (STI Treatment Guidelines, 2021) (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-10-02)
- CDC: About Trichomoniasis (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-10-02)
- Ectopic pregnancy (MedlinePlus, NIH) (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-10-02)