What Does Yellow Vaginal Discharge Mean? Causes & What to Do

Key takeaways:

• The color of a vaginal discharge is not the prime indicator of either vaginal health or disease.
• Associated simultaneous signs and symptoms will determine whether there is something abnormal going on in the vagina.
• A yellow color indicates a range of conditions, from hormonal influences to dehydration, or from vaginitis to serious infections.

Yellow vaginal discharge may or may not indicate an infection. While it can occur without anything abnormal going on (a physiologic discharge), infection of the vaginal environment causes a major change in its physiology.

This will affect its acidity (pH), the balance of normal to abnormal bacteria, inflammatory changes, the integrity of microscopic blood vessels with possible bleeding, and even the rate at which cells of the vaginal walls turn over (i.e., mature, die, and get discarded). Such change from an infection can cause a yellow discharge with other signs and symptoms, such as burning, pain, or itching, or even a change in the discharge volume.

A pale yellow, odorless, discharge not associated with discomfort, pain, blood, burning, or itching may not be due to an infection, but it can be.

Is it normal to have a yellow vaginal discharge?

If a pale yellow, odorless discharge, not associated with discomfort, pain, blood, burning, or itching either may or may not be due to an infection—how can you tell? The take-home message here is the key description—odorless, without blood, pain, burning or itching. Without these tell-tale signs, it is unlikely to be an infection that will resolve itself in a few days.

What could give you normal vaginal discharge? First of all, the vagina is by nature a moist tissue, with secretions from glands:

• Skene’s: on either side of the urethra, where urine exits, for lubrication and to protect the bladder from infection.
• Bartholin’s: on either side of the inferior opening of the vagina, for lubrication.
• Cervical: mucus glands that encourage or discourage the transit of sperm through it into your uterus. (The mucus is very much dependent on the timing of your cyclic hormones.)

Also, the mucosal layer deeper in the vaginal tissue can put watery discharge through the sidewalls. These normal discharges, leukorrhea, are part of the normal lubrication and cell hydration process.

Therefore, leukorrhea is normal. But can it look yellow and still be normal? Yes. If you’re dehydrated, the normal clear, filmy, or watery discharge of leukorrhea can thicken and take on some amber or yellowish color from one (or a mix) of its constituents: water, vaginal cells, or cervical mucus. Learn about different types of vaginal discharge and vaginal discharge colors.

What is yellow vaginal discharge made of?

This depends on whether it is merely leukorrhea, which is normal, or a disruption of the vaginal environment from bacterial imbalance, yeast, trichomonas, E. coli from your rectum, or overt bacterial sexually transmitted disease.

As mentioned above, infection will be accompanied by discomfort or bleeding. (Chlamydia infection is an exception in that it may be completely without symptoms!)

Common causes of yellow vaginal discharge

Below are listed common causes for a yellow vaginal discharge, from the normal to the very serious:

Leukorrhea

The normal moisture of the vagina can, depending on your state of hydration, be thin or filmy. Thickening from dehydration can even cause a yellowish hue, but this won’t be associated with discomfort or a foul odor. (A slight non-foul odor is normal.)

Hormonal changes

The glands of the vagina are sensitive to estrogen, and the rate of cell turnover may be affected by progesterone. Since your menstrual cycle has rises and falls of both, the vaginal glands will change in their production of secretions.

Normally clear, it can be yellowish and normal in the absence of other signs or symptoms. The mucus from your cervix also changes over the month, ranging from gel-like to stringy.

Vaginitis

Vaginitis is a catch-all term for any inflammation of the vagina. It is typically used when an exact diagnosis of infection (bacterial, fungal, or trichomonas) is not or cannot be made. As such, it implies a generalization at best or a failure of adequate treatment at worst. Vaginitis, therefore, is not a proper diagnosis, but a symptom of irritation.

The most common cause of resorting to this generalized diagnosis is bacterial vaginosis, when the beneficial vaginal bacteria are replaced by harmful ones. It causes an odor which is fish-like.

Yeast infection

It is common to have some yeast in your vagina–just not enough to become a clinical problem. It’s when yeast is present in volume or overgrows from the subclinical amounts that it is considered an infection.

Its discharge is typically white. However, the microscopic bleeding that occurs due to the inflammation can cause a small amount of blood to mix with its discharge, with certain delusional effects giving it a yellowish tint.

Trichomonas infection

The discharge from Trichomonas is frothy and bubbly. Trichomonas is neither a fungus nor a bacteria, but a protozoan. Protozoa are one-celled organisms that cause tissue damage from your immune and inflammatory response to it.

The (sometimes voluminous) frothy, bubbly discharge is typically green, but dilution or mixing with microscopic bleeding can produce a yellowish color.

Bacterial infection

Pus is your body’s response to infection. Pus is made up of white blood cells, which are mobilized to fight infection. Pus is white, like the cells that create it, but blood tinges (red blood cells) can make it look yellowish or brown, depending on how old the red blood cells are. Bacterial infections–notably sexually transmitted infections–cause a white, yellowish, or yellowish-green discharge.

The rectum is a natural depository of E. coli bacteria. The proximity of the anus to the vagina can cause some cross-contamination, allowing these bacteria to colonize there.

Urine or feces

Urine is typically amber-colored. Incontinence (leakage of urine) can cause urine to collect in the vagina until gravity makes it come out all at once. Diarrhea is watery and can be yellow because of the bilirubin (from bile) in your stool.

If it were to collect in the vagina, like urine it can leak out all at once. Also, trauma from surgery or infection may result in a fistula, which is a communication between the bladder or rectum with the vagina, causing urine or feces to collect directly into the vagina.

Plasma

When blood clots, the clotting red blood cells retract away from the liquid portion of the blood, called “plasma.” Plasma has a yellowish hue. It is possible for vaginal bleeding due to menstrual irregularities to clot in the vagina, with the more liquid plasma running out due to gravity before the more gel-like clots do.

What yellow discharge may mean based on appearance, texture, or another symptom or condition

The meaning of a yellow discharge is fraught with a confusing overlap of symptoms, but generalizations include the following:

• Yellow discharge with no odor: May be leukorrhea or the beginning of vaginitis.
• Yellow discharge with a strong odor: If it’s fishy in nature, probable bacterial vaginosis.
• Bright yellow discharge: Possibly urine, especially if taking vitamin D supplements.
• Thick, creamy, or sticky yellow discharge: Possible yeast infection.
• Yellow, watery discharge: Possibly urine that has collected in the vagina.
• Yellow discharge and vaginal itching: Yeast infection.
• Yellow discharge while pregnant: Bloody discharge (threatened miscarriage or implantation bleeding) or hormonal changes.

When you should see a doctor about yellow vaginal discharge

Anything you suspect is other than the normal physiologic leukorrhea should prompt a visit to your doctor.

You should see a doctor if:

You have any symptoms of burning, itching, pain, with or without an odor, or if there is only an odor if it is unpleasant.

You should go to the emergency room if:

If the pain rises into your pelvis, urination is painful, there is any fever with your yellow vaginal discharge, or if nausea develops.

Questions to ask your doctor about yellow vaginal discharge

For the best care, asking your provider the following questions are important:

• Is this a physiologic discharge or a pathological discharge indicating infection?
• How will you diagnose it and, if necessary, treat it?
• Will my partner need to be treated, too?
• Can this affect my ability to get pregnant or have children?

How to get rid of or treat yellow vaginal discharge

A yellow vaginal discharge, if it is due to infection or other pathological causes, will usually resolve with treatment of its cause. Of course, this assumes the diagnosis was made properly:

Birth control pills (oral contraceptives)

If the yellow discharge is hormonally related and you aren’t pregnant, you can mask the symptoms by overriding your menstrual cycle with birth control pills.

Antifungal

These are used to treat yeast infections. They can be administered into the vagina or by pill. (Most yeast infections come from your own rectum, so the antifungal pill may be better if the yeast were to come back.)

Lactobacillus suppository or yogurt

Can be a non-medical way to treat bacterial vaginosis by introducing lactobacillus into the vagina.

Antibiotics

For Trichomoniasis or bacterial infection, including sexually transmitted infections (e.g., gonorrhea or Chlamydia).

Frequently asked questions: yellow vaginal discharge

Here are both the most frequent and the most important questions:

Is yellow vaginal discharge a sign of a sexually transmitted infection (STI)?

It can be a result of an STI, especially if accompanied by fever or pain. You should choose to be over-cautious if you notice any discharge after contact with a new partner.

Can a yeast infection cause a yellow vaginal discharge?

Yes. Although it is usually white. Blood from inflammation can tinge a discharge yellow.

What if you experience yellow vaginal discharge right after sexual intercourse?

This is the mechanical dislodging of what has accumulated in the vagina over several hours. Therefore, you should consider it according to the nature of the discharge and not sex itself. You can read more about vaginal discharge after sex.

Managing yellow vaginal discharge

In conclusion, a yellowish discoloration to a vaginal discharge may be innocent leukorrhea, but if there are any signs or symptoms associated with it, or if it begins after a different or new sexual partner, it’s best to be over-cautious and seek care immediately.

General Medicine follows a strict editorial process, including using real experts to write our articles, vetted primary sources, fact-checking, a secondary medical review, and updates as necessary. This article was medically reviewed and fact checked by Dr. Lane Thaut, DO.

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