Normal vaginal discharge is clear or milky white and helps to protect, clean, and lubricate the vulva. It can change throughout the menstrual cycle, particularly during ovulation and pregnancy.
If you have thick white discharge that has an unpleasant odor, is lumpy or cloudy, you should contact your doctor. Tracking your symptoms with an app like Flo can help your doctor understand what’s going on.
Causes
White discharge during sex is normal in women and men. The fluid cleans, protects and lubricates the vagina. It is also a sign of sexual arousal. The color and consistency of the discharge can change throughout the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and when you use birth control. It can also be a sign of bacterial or yeast infections. It’s important to monitor the changes in your discharge and talk to your healthcare provider if you notice any unusual odor or color, or have pain with urinating or sex.
Healthy white discharge usually has a clear or milky white appearance and doesn’t smell. It may be thicker and clumpy during sexual arousal, but it should be watery and not painful. The amount of discharge you produce can depend on hormone levels, your menstrual cycle and what kind of sex you have. If you haven’t been using protection and are exposed to STIs, the discharge can become yellow or green and could be itchy and painful.
If you notice the white discharge is more yellow or green in color, has a bad odor or is itchy, it’s a sign of an infection. You should schedule an appointment with your doctor right away to get tested for a bacterial or yeast infection. If the infection is a sexually transmitted disease (STD), you’ll be placed on antibiotics.
Symptoms
While some changes in discharge color, texture and odor are normal, others can indicate a problem. It’s important to talk to your doctor about any discharge that’s unusual, especially if you’re experiencing symptoms such as pain, itching, sores or bleeding between periods. Discharge is a clear to milky white fluid that cleans, protects and lubricates the vagina and penis. It’s a natural part of sexual arousal and can help ensure that sperm enter and exit the body smoothly.
Most women experience vaginal discharge that’s clear or a pale yellow before, during and after sexual activity. The amount of discharge varies throughout the menstrual cycle and depends on things like hormone levels, whether you’re taking birth control, the type of sex you have and what medications or supplements you’re taking.
Men can also experience a whitish, chunky or clumpy fluid known as precum. This is a normal part of sexual arousal and can be caused by things like anal or oral sex, or urination. In rare cases, a man may have an STI such as trichomoniasis or gonorrhea that can lead to white penile discharge with pain and irritation. This type of discharge can be treated with antibiotics.
Treatment
If you’re noticing clumpy white discharge after sex, it could be the body’s way of clearing out the genitals. But if the fluid changes color or smells, or you’re experiencing other symptoms of infection, it may be time to see a health professional.
In women, normal vaginal discharge is clear to milky white and helps to clean, protect, and lubricate the vulva. It thickens and increases during sexual arousal and as part of the menstrual cycle before your period or when you’re ovulating. It’s also common for it to be a bit thicker during pregnancy. If your white clumpy discharge is accompanied by pain during orgasm and spotting between periods, it could be a sign of an infection like bacterial vaginosis (BV) or yeast infections.
If your clumpy white discharge has a strong, fishy-smelling odor and is accompanied by other symptoms like itching around the vulva and vagina, painful urination, or sores in the genital area, you might have a sexually transmitted infection (STI). STIs that can cause white clumpy penile discharge include chlamydia, which can result in a yellow-white discharge and urethritis; trichomoniasis, which can lead to a white, green, or yellow discharge; and gonorrhea, which causes a painful urinating and ejaculating.
A doctor can diagnose a sexually transmitted infection based on your medical history, symptoms, and a pelvic exam with a speculum or a digital rectal examination. They can also take a sample of your discharge to test it for bacteria, yeast, and other organisms.
Prevention
Normally, the acidity of vaginal fluid is kept in the healthy range by the body’s natural bacteria. When the balance is disrupted, it can lead to yeast infections and bacterial vaginosis. These infections can be prevented by practicing good hygienic habits, including regularly taking a probiotic like Intimate Rose. This brand of probiotics contains cranberry, which helps keep the pH level of your vagina in the healthy range.
A white, cottage cheese-like discharge after sex is normal and is due to secretions that facilitate vaginal lubrication for sexual intercourse. If the white discharge is accompanied by painful urination, burning during urination, or pelvic pain, it is not normal and may be an indication of an infection.
The most common causes of white clumpy discharge are vaginitis, a yeast infection, or a sexually transmitted infection (STI) from unprotected sex or oral sex. If you have a STI, such as gonorrhea or chlamydia, the thick, clumpy white discharge may be mixed with semen and sperm that can leak out during sexual intercourse.
The amount of white discharge you experience during sexual arousal is related to the point in your menstrual cycle at which you’re ovulating. This change in hormones causes your body to produce more lubrication and helps prevent sperm from getting into the uterus. If you track your menstrual cycle with a period tracker app, you can see the relationship between hormone levels and discharge.
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