Most girls/women have normal vaginal fluid that helps clean and moisten the vagina. You are completely healthy and normal if your discharge is cloudy white has no odor or has a slightly salty odor, increases in amount and becomes “stringy” (like egg whites) during the middle of your menstrual cycle when you are ovulating.
If your normal vaginal discharge changes, it may be a sign that you have a vaginal infection and you need treatment.
The most common symptoms of a vaginal infection are:
- Vaginal discharge that’s different from normal
- Vaginal odor
- Vaginal itching
- Vaginal burning
- Pain or irritation with urination or sexual intercourse
Some women may not have any symptoms
Symptoms can be mild to severe. Each type of vaginal infection has different symptoms and requires different treatment though. Only your health care provider can tell if you definitely have a vaginal infection. If you have any of the symptoms listed above, you should make an appointment with your health care provider. Remember, it’s really important to be completely honest with your health care provider about what symptoms you have, such as odor, burning, or strange vaginal discharge, even if it is embarrassing. Also, tell your health care provider if you’ve had sexual contact and if you use condoms every time you have sex. This way, your health care provider can figure out what is causing your symptoms and prescribe the right treatment.
Our health guides are developed through a systematic, rigorous process to ensure accuracy, reliability, and trustworthiness. Written and reviewed by experienced healthcare clinicians from Boston Children's Hospital, a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital and consistently ranked as a top hospital by Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report, these guides combine clinical expertise, specialized knowledge, and evidence-based medicine. We also incorporate research and best practices from authoritative sources such as the CDC, NIH, PubMed, top medical journals, and UpToDate.com. Clinical specialists and subject matter experts review and edit each guide, reinforcing our commitment to high-quality, factual, scientifically accurate health information for young people.