What is this liquid I can see in my panties, is it normal?

Here's how Prof. Graziottin answers this question from her patients:

First point, the liquid is provoked by the mixture of normal microscopic vaginal transudate secretions through the vaginal wall tissues and the microbiota and microbiome, say the microflora, living in our vagina. Normally it is very mild in quantity, has no scent or color and does not usually stain the underwear (but beware not to consider the urinary stains as vaginal).

When it does, the first causes to be considered are:

• Gut dysbiosis, particularly when you suffer from diarrhea, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome. Why that? Because this translates into changes of the gut microbiome and because of the close dialogue between the gut microbiome and the vagina, you may have symptoms in the vagina, including leakage, including staining your pants.
• Second, you can have ovulatory secretions, very limpid and clear at ovulation, at midcycle.
• Third, we could have a very special condition that is called cervical ectopia (from the Greek word that means “out of place”). What does it mean? Normally, we have two types of epithelia within the uterus and the neck of the uterus, the cervix and the vagina
  • Those within the uterus are a simple layer, red colour.
  • Those in the vagina are multiple layers and gentle pink.

When we have this movement, this migration, we say, of these cells, red colour, covering the cervix, when the gynecologist was looking at it, in the past we used to think, there was a little wound. It's not a wound. Simply, we have this movement of the inner cells towards the external part. It is very frequent. 30-40% of women have, particularly young women. But the point is that this epithelium is much more vulnerable to the presence of different germs like the one we have in the vagina that are different from the cervix and the endometrium. This may translate into increased vagina secretion.

So, read the symptoms and then a competent gynecologist will tell you which situation is this: from the bowel? Is it just ovulation? Or is it a cervical ectopia that could be addressed?

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