Intimate Health
Descriptive word pickerHow to describe vaginal discharge to a doctor: word picker
Find words for your own vaginal discharge observations. Make a printable appointment note about timing, appearance, texture, smell and amount, without a diagnosis.
Your words, ready for a conversation
You do not need a medical term to explain a change
Choose wording that fits what you have already noticed, write your own, or leave a topic blank. The note simply collects your observations. It does not classify your discharge or identify a cause.
Seek medical advice for a change in colour, smell or texture, more discharge than usual, itching or soreness, bleeding between periods or after sex, pain when peeing, or pelvic pain. A clinician or sexual health service can assess the cause. Do not wait to finish this note before getting help.
A written alternative
Words to take into your appointment
With JavaScript turned off, use these prompts as a blank worksheet. You can print this page and write your own observations.
When I noticed it
An approximate time is fine. You do not need to guess an exact date.
Possible wording: Just noticed it · It comes and goes · It has continued · I am not sure when it started
How it looks
Use words you would use in conversation. Different lighting can change what you see.
Possible wording: Clear · White or cream-coloured · A different colour from my usual discharge · I am not sure how to describe the colour
How it feels or seems
Describe what you have already noticed. You do not need to do an examination.
Possible wording: Thin or watery · Slippery or stretchy · Thick or sticky · Lumpy · I am not sure about the texture
What I noticed about smell
There is no smell test here. Choose your own observation, or leave this out.
Possible wording: No change that I have noticed · A different smell from usual · A stronger smell than usual · I am not sure about the smell
Amount compared with my usual
A personal comparison is enough. No measurement or number is needed.
Possible wording: About the same as usual · More than usual · Less than usual · I am not sure what is usual for me
Other details or a question
You can mention other symptoms, relevant timing, medicines or products used, or what you want to ask.
My vaginal discharge observations
Make the most of this tool
Put your discharge observations into words
Choose suggested wording or your own words for the topics you want to discuss. Unsure choices stay explicit, and topics left blank are omitted. Review the note, then print or download it to keep a copy for your appointment.
Will this tell me what causes my discharge?
No. The tool collects the words you select or write. It does not compare symptoms with conditions, label discharge normal or abnormal, or recommend treatment. A clinician can assess changes.
Do I need to answer every topic?
No. Leave any topic blank or choose an unsure phrase. A blank is not recorded as no symptom. Your own drafts stay in this open page if you switch wording, and are cleared when you reload or confirm Start over.
Behind this tool
This word picker uses the NHS guidance on discharge changes to keep the prompts focused on descriptions a clinician can discuss. It does not interpret your selections.