Vaginal Discharge

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Vaginal Discharge: Common Causes

Certain situations can increase the amount of normal vaginal discharge, like:

• Sexual excitement
• Emotional stress
• Ovulation (when you are producing and releasing an egg from your ovary in the middle of your menstrual cycle)

Conditions that can lead to abnormal vaginal discharge include:

• Vaginal yeast infection -- the discharge is generally cheesy white and accompanied by redness and itching. Vaginal yeast infections may be related to antibiotics, birth control or other estrogen pills, pregnancy, diabetes, or a weakened immune system (like HIV or long-term steroid use).
• Bacterial vaginosis -- an infection that causes a grey discharge and a fishy odor that worsen after sexual intercourse
• Trichomonas -- a sexually-transmitted parasite that causes yellowish-grey or green discharge and intense itching.
• Other infections and sexually transmitted diseases like Chlamydia or gonorrhea
• Foreign bodies (such as a forgotten tampon)