It’s pretty surprising how many colors your discharge can be, huh? Here’s what you need to know if you see green….
What does it look like? Green (obviously!), but it might have a different texture too — thicker, thinner, more textured, frothy, or foamy.
Is green discharge a problem?
The truth is that most often green discharge is a sign of an infection. But if you see it, don’t panic — we’ll explain what to do next.
First a little more context: Bacterial vaginosis (discharge caused by a change in the natural balance of bacteria in your vagina) can cause green discharge. Sexually transmitted infections like trichomoniasis, chlamydia, or gonorrhea can too. Sometimes yeast infections can even have green discharge. This discharge may also have a different texture than normal and an unpleasant, potentially fishy, odor.
Other signs of infection include burning, pain, and itching when you pee; bleeding between periods; and lower abdominal pain. (Track any symptoms you experience in your periods tracker — it’ll come in handy if you go to the doctor). But we can’t stress enough that STIs are often symptomless, so even if a change in discharge is all you notice, it’s important not to ignore it.
What can you do?
Head to a health care provider to get checked out. Antibiotics are usually all it takes to treat all of these conditions. And it’s best to start treatment right away because leaving an infection untreated can lead to complications… which is exactly what you don’t want.
Anything else it could be?
Probably not. Green discharge is usually a sign of infection. You might not be used to talking about discharge, but rest assured — to doctors, it’s no big deal. They’ve seen and heard it all before. The most important thing is to get you back in good health so you can get back to enjoying your life.
