Is it normal to not have discharge

Is It Normal to Not Have Discharge Before Your Period? 8 Causes, Tips

It might be alarming to find that you don’t have vaginal discharge right before your period, but this is normal.

Vaginal discharge, also known as cervical mucus, looks different from person to person. It also varies throughout the menstrual cycle, from dry and largely absent to clear and stretchy.

The consistency and quantity of vaginal discharge changes according to ovulation:

In the days before your period, your vaginal discharge may have a glue-like look and feel.
Then, on the day immediately before your period, you may notice no discharge at all.
During your period, it’s likely that your menstrual blood will cover the mucus.

In the days following your period, you’ll probably notice no discharge. This happens when your body creates more mucus before another egg is ripened in anticipation of ovulation.

Following these “dry days,” your discharge will go through days when it appears sticky, cloudy, wet, and slippery.

These are the days leading up to and following the most fertile period, when the egg is ready to be fertilized.

Although cervical mucus can signal fertility, it isn’t a fail-safe indication. In some cases, a person may have high levels of estrogen without ovulating.

Not necessarily. There are various reasons why your discharge changes consistency or appears absent.

Pregnancy isn’t the only thing that can impact your vaginal discharge. Other influences include:

vaginal infection
menopause
vaginal douching
the morning after pill
breastfeeding
cervical surgery
sexually transmitted infections (STI)

If there’s a dramatic change in the consistency, color, or smell of the mucus, this can be cause for concern.

If you’ve had vaginal intercourse recently and think you could be pregnant, it might be a good idea to take a pregnancy test.

If the test is positive, or you think that there’s a larger issue at hand such as an infection, set up an appointment to see a doctor or other healthcare provider.

Your provider will be able to fully assess what’s going on with your body and let you know if treatments is necessary.

If your period doesn’t arrive as expected, there might be something else going on.

Your menstrual cycle can be impacted by things like:

stress
increased exercise
sudden weight fluctuation
travel
changes in birth control usage
thyroid issues
eating disorders (such as anorexia or bulimia)
polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
drug use

For those who are between 45 to 55 years old, this could also be a sign of perimenopause or menopause.

Periods leading up to menopause can be lighter or irregular. Menopause happens when it’s been 12 months since your last period.

Additionally, menstruation might be irregular the first few months or years after it begins as the body balances out hormone levels.

Keep in mind that while your period might not arrive as expected, it’s still possible to get pregnant. You should still use birth control and barrier methods to prevent unintentional pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.

If your period does arrive, this means that your body was likely preparing for your period when there wasn’t any discharge.

Should you notice any differences in your period, such as irregularities in flow or discomfort, this could signal something else, such as a possible infection.

To better understand your menstrual cycle and your personal pattern of discharge, Planned Parenthood advises tracking your mucus levels starting the day after your period stops.

To check your mucus, you can use a piece of toilet paper to wipe your vulva before peeing. Then you can check the color, smell, and consistency.

You can also do this with clean fingers, or you can observe the discharge on your underwear.

It’s important to keep in mind that vaginal sexual intercourse can impact discharge.

In some cases, your body will produce more or different consistencies of mucus, which can impact your results if you’re tracking your mucus levels.

It’s normal to notice changes in your discharge leading up to, during, and after your period. Your body’s hormone levels change throughout the course of your menstrual cycle.

If your period is late, your mucus changes drastically, or you’re experiencing any type of pain, discomfort, or itching, it’s a good idea to check in with a doctor or gynecologist. They’ll be able to perform a physical exam and run tests to evaluate what’s going on.

Should your first round of tests not help with your symptoms, ask for another round.

Jen is a wellness contributor at Healthline. She writes and edits for various lifestyle and beauty publications, with bylines at Refinery29, Byrdie, MyDomaine, and bareMinerals. When not typing away, you can find Jen practicing yoga, diffusing essential oils, watching Food Network, or guzzling a cup of coffee. You can follow her NYC adventures on Twitter and Instagram.

No Discharge or Lubrication During Sex

Question: I have absolutely no discharge and very little lubrication during sex. What's the issue?

Great question! Lack of vaginal discharge and lubrication can be very uncomfortable during intercourse, or even leave you feeling dry and irritated at other times.

Everyone’s body is different, but in general, having some vaginal discharge is normal and varies in amount for everyone. Discharge is needed for the vagina to flush out bacteria and maintain a healthy Ph balance. A healthy vaginal discharge is usually odorless, can be clear or white in color and is usually a little thick or even sticky.

Here are five things that could cause you to have vaginal dryness (less vaginal lubrication than normal):

Your Menstrual Cycle
Birth Control
Dehydration
Infections or STDs
Lack of Arousal

Your Menstrual Cycle

At certain points in the menstrual cycle you will have more vaginal discharge than others. During ovulation, the discharge looks more like spit (clear, stretchy) and during the luteal phase, the discharge can be clumpy or sticky (think clumps of glue). Some women find that they have more lubrication earlier in their cycle (before ovulation).

Birth Control

Added hormones can also disrupt the vagina's natural lubrication. Since most birth control methods contain progesterone or estrogen, it's common to experience vaginal dryness. Women affected by this can consider other long acting birth control options that are low-hormone or hormone-free like the copper IUD. We recommend talking to your doctor about which method is best for you.

Dehydration

Staying hydrated is also very important for increasing your natural lubrication. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, women over 19 should drink about 9 cups (72 oz) of fluid each day to maintain proper hydration. Meanwhile, pregnant women should be drinking at least 10 cups.

Infections or STDs

Sometimes, a lack of discharge or lubrication can be a sign of an infection such as BV, a yeast infection or an STD and you may not have any other symptoms to suggest this. It is important to see a doctor for an exam and infection screening if your lack of discharge is persistent of causing any other problems so you can determine the cause.

Lack of arousal

In regards to lubrication during sex, women generally take a little more time to become aroused than men do. Natural lubrication does not happen immediately, so it is important to give your body enough time to catch up before intercourse.

Luckily, there are great lubricant options if natural lubrication is not cutting it, but remember to always be communicating with your partner if you need more time to “warm up” before sex. Sex should be an enjoyable experience for both you and your partner, so it is important that you talk to them if you are experiencing any discomfort.

Need to make an appointment with a gynecologist? Call (877) 883.7264 or book a visit online.

What should be the allocation of women?

Girls before puberty

There should be no vaginal discharge. This fact is due to the peculiarities of the hormonal profile and the structure of the genital organs in this age period. The appearance of vaginal discharge in a girl under 10-12 years old, especially discharge that has a color and smell, indicates a problem either in the reproductive system or in the adjacent digestive or urinary tract.

About a year before the first menstruation, girls develop vaginal discharge due to hormonal changes in the body. These secretions are liquid, sometimes mucous, have a whitish color or a slightly pronounced yellow tint, odorless or with a slight sour smell. These secretions are physiologically normal and necessary to moisturize the vaginal wall and protect the genitals from infectious agents.

Women in the reproductive period

From the end of menstruation to the middle of the cycle (with a 28-day menstrual cycle, this is 12-14 days, let me remind you, the 1st day of the month is the 1st day of the menstrual cycle) - the discharge is not abundant (1-2 ml per day - the diameter of the spot on the daily pad 2-3 cm), watery or slimy in nature, have a uniform consistency (or there may be impurities in the form of small (up to 2 mm) lumps), they are colorless or have a whitish or yellowish hue, odorless or with a slight sour smell.

In the middle of the cycle, ovulation occurs, and the amount of discharge increases to 4 ml per day (the size of the spot on the daily pad increases to 5 cm), they become slimy, viscous, sometimes the shade of the discharge becomes beige. It lasts 1-2 days.

In the second half of the menstrual cycle (from 12-14 days to the beginning of menstruation) - the amount of discharge (compared to the ovulatory period) decreases, the discharge may become creamy or jelly-like in nature. A few days before the onset of menstruation, a repeated increase in the amount of discharge is characteristic.

With the onset of sexual activity

The onset of sexual activity and the change of sexual partner lead to the fact that a new, alien, microflora enters the female genital tract. As a result, within a certain period of time (purely individual for each woman), the reproductive system and the whole body of a woman adapt to the “new residents”. During this period, an increase in the amount of discharge, a change in color and consistency is characteristic. The main thing is that there are no unpleasant sensations (discomfort, itching, burning).

Sexual intercourse itself also contributes to the appearance of specific vaginal discharge. Within a few hours after unprotected intercourse (without using a condom), vaginal discharge is in the form of transparent clots, with a white or yellowish tinge. After 6-8 hours after intercourse, the nature of the discharge changes: they become liquid, white, and abundant. If sexual intercourse was protected by a condom or the method of interrupted intercourse was used, then after it the secretion of a creamy, white, meager secretion, consisting of "worked out" vaginal lubricant, is characteristic.

During pregnancy

The amount of vaginal discharge in pregnant women tends to increase. Allocations become plentiful, liquidish.

A pregnant woman should be very attentive to her condition, including monitoring the nature of vaginal discharge. So, for example, the appearance of very liquid discharge in the second half of pregnancy should definitely alert a woman and become a reason to see a doctor, since a similar picture can be observed when the amniotic fluid leaves.

Postpartum women

Normal discharge after childbirth is called lochia. In the first week after giving birth, lochia is comparable to regular menstruation, only they are more abundant and may contain clots. Then their number decreases every day. Gradually, they acquire a yellowish-white color due to the large amount of mucus (become similar to egg white), may contain a small admixture of blood. Approximately by the 4th week, scanty, “smearing” discharge is observed, and by the end of the 6-8th week after childbirth, vaginal discharge becomes the same as before pregnancy.

In women taking hormonal contraceptives

Inhibition of ovulation, on which the action of almost all hormonal contraceptives is based, leads to a decrease in the amount of discharge (during the period of taking the pills). After the abolition of the contraceptive, the nature of the discharge from the vagina is restored. Breastfeeding has a similar effect on the nature of the discharge. At the end of the postpartum period, the amount of vaginal discharge is very small (subject to feeding the baby “on demand” and the absence of menstruation).

In perimenopausal women

The amount of discharge in perimenopause (the period including the period of time before the end of the menstrual function, the last menstruation and the entire subsequent life of a woman) progressively decreases.

Signs of pathology

It is impossible to make a diagnosis on your own, guided by the nature of vaginal discharge. Moreover, without the appropriate tests and clinical examination, the gynecologist will not be able to do this either. But there are a few simple signs that will signal a possible disease:

Discomfort, itching, burning in the vagina.
Yellow, white or greenish frothy discharge.
Profuse discharge of white or yellowish cheesy lumps, irritating to the genitals.
Profuse discharge with an unpleasant fishy odor.
Yellow discharge with difficulty urinating, pain in the lower abdomen.
Thick purulent discharge with blood impurities, with a sharp unpleasant odor.
Bloody discharge that appeared between periods.
Brown or bloody discharge during pregnancy.

In this case, it is necessary to consult an obstetrician-gynecologist, who will be able to prescribe the necessary tests, make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe the appropriate treatment.

Obstetrician-gynecologist Gvozdetskaya Katerina Viktorovna

Which vaginal discharges are normal and which are not, advice from a gynecologist

One of the topics that is embarrassing to discuss even with the closest friends concerns female discharge. Each of us has them, but it is not so easy to determine which discharges are normal in women and are a normal part of life, and which can serve as symptoms of dangerous diseases. Therefore, we asked all these questions to the gynecologist.

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Ilya Belov

Women Health

Expert advice

female physiology

If there is no discomfort, we usually do not notice the discharge. But sooner or later, any of us is faced with finding unusual marks on underwear and wondering what kind of discharge is normal for girls. Over time, we figure out how our body functions, for example, what kind of discharge before menstruation is considered normal, but “surprises” still happen. We have analyzed several such situations in the material, but we must warn you - in case of any doubts, contact a gynecologist personally for professional advice.

Do not self-medicate! In our articles, we collect the latest scientific data and the opinions of authoritative health experts. But remember: only a doctor can diagnose and prescribe treatment.

Olga Terekhina

obstetrician-gynecologist of the Atlas Medical Center, Ph.D.

Not all discharges are signs of pathologies. Some are the norm, and even necessary.

When girls first have discharge

Approximately one year before the first period, marks can be seen on the underwear. These vaginal discharges are normal, they have neither color nor smell and indicate the preparation of the female body to reach puberty. They will accompany you until the menopause period.

What is considered normal discharge: examples and signs

Light discharge in women is normal if it is almost odorless, does not cause irritation and, in general, is practically not felt. However, as always, there are nuances - let's figure it out.

What kind of vaginal discharge is normal

Normal discharge in women has a slight sour smell, does not cause irritation of the mucous membranes and discomfort. This is the color of normal discharge in women: it is not bright and has a shade from transparent to light yellow. They perform various functions: they protect against infections, help the sperm enter the body, or act as a lubricant during sexual intercourse.

Understanding the question of which discharge is normal, you can easily find photos on the Internet. Their regular appearance is a sign of the healthy functioning of your reproductive system. By the way, if there is no discharge at all or there is no menstruation, you should consult a doctor - this can serve as a signal of violations.

Normal menstruation: what kind of discharge appears before and during

You must have noticed that before menstruation, the mucous membrane works differently, and wondered what kind of discharge is normal before menstruation. It is considered normal if the discharge becomes creamy or jelly-like, and you should not be afraid of light beige discharge. During menstruation, bleeding may include small clots, and become darker towards the end.

Sometimes the question arises which discharge is normal during ovulation. At this time (approximately the middle of the cycle), the intensity and density of secretions may increase.

What is normal pregnancy discharge

A woman's body undergoes many changes during childbearing, including the expectant mother may wonder what discharge is normal during pregnancy and what discharge is normal in the first trimester. Here are the changes to expect.

There will be more secretions - this is a natural process caused by hormones.

What are normal early discharges? Transparent or white, but if there are yellowish marks on the linen or padding, don't worry either.

In the last weeks of pregnancy, you may also notice that the discharge contains streaks of thick mucus streaked with blood. These discharges in women are normal before childbirth, they should not be a cause for alarm.

What discharge after childbirth is considered normal

Within 3-8 weeks after childbirth, women develop bloody mucous discharge, the so-called "lochia" (not to be confused with menstruation). You may be afraid of this and wonder what kind of discharge is normal after childbirth, but in this case, fears are unnecessary - this is a natural process. Lochia is a combination of blood, mucus, white blood cells, placenta remnants and pieces of the uterine lining, so your body gradually gets rid of the consequences of bearing a baby.

Within a month after the abortion, such vaginal discharge is also considered normal. They should not have an unpleasant smell, and you should not feel pain.

Why discharge can turn pink

Pink color appears in the discharge when taking oral contraceptives or the presence of an intrauterine device - they can make you worry and wonder what color discharge is normal. Don't worry - such discharges are called "spotting" - they appear in the period of adaptation to taking contraceptives for the first 3-4 months. During this period, the body gets used to microdoses of hormones or the presence of a foreign body in the uterine cavity. But if these discharges persist for more than 4 months, tend to increase, or are accompanied by pain, this is a reason to consult a doctor.

What is considered normal during sex

During intercourse, a sufficient amount of secretions from the vagina, cervix and paraurethral glands is an important basis for pleasurable sensations, all of which are normal secretions in women. What should be the discharge to make you worried? Insufficient. If there is little discharge, you risk getting microcracks, itching, discomfort and infection.

Which secretions are not normal

A deep yellow, green, brown or black discharge in women accompanied by a strong odor, itching, fever and pain in the lower abdomen is not normal. They testify to pathological processes in the body.

Inflammation and infection discharge

Inflammatory diseases such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, mycoplasmosis and others can be the cause. If you feel something is not right, and wonder what the normal smell of discharge is, check this list - and see a doctor!

Women with chlamydia develop yellowish, foul-smelling mucous discharge from the vagina.
In gonorrhea, a woman will notice yellowish-white vaginal discharge and intermenstrual bleeding.
With trichomoniasis, the woman's discharge becomes clear, white, yellowish or greenish with an unusual fishy smell.
Mycoplasmosis in a woman will be indicated by a discharge with an unpleasant odor and an unusual consistency.

Bloody (not menstrual) or purulent discharge in women is not the norm, but a reason to urgently consult a doctor. Such discharge can be symptoms of a variety of diseases, including cysts, cervical erosion, and even cancer.

Thrush discharge

Thrush is a disease caused by fungi of the genus Candida. These fungi infect the mucous membranes, causing itching, burning, and discomfort. The discharges are of a "curdled" nature, which is why they are commonly called "thrush" by the people. There is no sharp smell with thrush. If a little whitish mucus is secreted, then it is appropriate to wonder what female discharge is normal, but candidiasis cannot be confused with anything: the discharge is abnormally abundant.

The disease can be caused by various reasons: taking antibiotics, excessive intimate hygiene using antibacterial soap, or, conversely, neglect of hygiene, pregnancy, diabetes, chronic stress, dietary errors, for example, drinking beer, champagne and sweets. All this can provoke vaginal discharge. Norm and moderation in nutrition and hygiene will reduce the chance of catching this unpleasant disease.

If you see any of these signs, don't worry about what kind of female discharge is normal, but rather consult a doctor. Candidiasis must be treated on time, using drugs and regimens individually selected by the gynecologist, and not with one advertised pill. If candidiasis is not treated in time and competently, complications may appear: inflammation of the cervix, uterine cavity, urinary tract.

Temporary abnormal discharge in women

When sorting out the question of what kind of discharge in women is normal, keep in mind that sometimes abnormal discharge is temporary, for example, due to dysbacteriosis, with a decrease in immunity, SARS, taking antibiotics. They go away on their own with a complete recovery of the body.

Remember that non-discomforting vaginal discharge is normal and most likely completely safe. But if their number, color, smell and consistency have changed, irritation has appeared, then you should contact a gynecologist immediately.