Clear Slimy Discharge: Why Is Vaginal discharge Stringy?

Two days ago, I got an email from one of my readers asking why his girlfriend has clear slimy discharge. He described her discharge as stringy, threadlike and slippery to feel.

As usual, he was concerned she was pregnant and wanted to know if a slimy discharge is a sign of pregnancy. If you are also experiencing this type of discharge, this guide will let you know all the possible reasons you have a clear stringy discharge.

A clear, stretchy, slippery discharge is often just normal cervical mucus, especially around ovulation.

But first, you need to relax your nerves. Most lady experience a clear slimy discharge and most times it happens normally because of spike or fall of your hormones. Hormones like estrogen and progesterone naturally make your discharge look and feel different at different times of the month.

In some women, slimy discharge happens because of a physiologic process called ovulation. So, if you are worried, there may not be an issue with your health.

Nevertheless, if you are not expecting your period yet or you have missed it, a discharge that feels more wet or slippery than usual can sometimes happen in early pregnancy. This discharge, though not a reliable way to tell that you are pregnant, can give a clue especially if you’ve missed your period. You will still need a pregnancy test to be sure.

Other causes of this type of discharge could be vaginal infections, fluid release during sexual intercourse, bacterial vaginosis infection, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and contraceptive use.

So, it is important you go through this guide from start to finish to understand the reason for a stringy discharge.

How does vaginal discharge form and why is it important?

Most times, ladies panic unnecessarily when they notice an excessive type of vaginal discharge. But you shouldn’t. Your vaginal discharge plays a protective role and helps keep your vaginal canal tidy and healthy.

Think about it for a second. It is quite difficult to care for the vaginal all the time. You can not always wash the inside of the vagina for 24 hours.

That’s the work of your discharge. Women generally release about a teaspoon full of discharge every day needed to clear up specks of dirt and prevent infections in the vagina. Some women have a bit more and some have less. This can also change during your menstrual cycle and in pregnancy.

Normal vaginal discharge is usually clear or white and does not have a strong or unpleasant smell. You may notice it is thick and sticky on some days, and more slippery and wet on other days – all of this can still be normal. (See examples from ACOG and the NHS.)

That’s quite small but you may also notice much more level of discharge at certain times of your menstrual cycle (more on that later).

So, how is vaginal discharge formed?

Discharge forms form small tiny glands that are located in the lowest part of the uterus, called cervix. The cervix is much more like a hollow connection between the body of the uterus and the vagina.

Right there at the cervix, the glands secrete mucus from time to time. Depending on different times in your menstrual cycle, this mucus may be thick, watery, slippery, stretchy, slimy, or threadlike.

For the most part of your menstrual cycle, it is thick. So, it is quite common to hear ladies say vaginal discharge should be thick creamy like discharge.

So, why is a thick discharge very important?

A woman’s reproductive tract consists of the vagina, uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries. These part of the reproductive system are internal, that is, they are located inside your body.

When you have a thick mucus discharge, it specifically prevents infection from down the vagina to spread upwards through the cervix.

So, as expected, when your discharge doesn’t feel thick, you will be concerned.

Clear Stringy discharge: 3 Important questions

There are several possible reasons you have a clear slimy discharge. So, we will go through some questions to streamline the reason you are experiencing a stringy discharge.

1. What time in your menstrual cycle are you experiencing a slimy discharge?

This is by far the most important question you need to answer. Why? Because vaginal discharge texture changes regularly in between your menstrual cycle.

To simplify, your menstrual cycle is the number of days in between our period. Most ladies tend to have a 28day menstrual cycle. Many women also have cycles between about 21 and 35 days, and this can still be normal.

That is, assuming your period started on the first of December and then showed up on the 29th of the same month, it means you have a 28-day menstrual cycle.

So, what time did you notice this type of discharge? Is it in the middle of your menstrual cycle? Is it one week after the end of your period? Or are you experiencing a thready discharge just a few days to your next period?

If you notice a stringy discharge in the middle of your menstrual cycle, it is most likely happening because of ovulation. In many women with a 28-day cycle, ovulation happens roughly in the middle of the cycle, about 12–16 days before the next period. This may not be the same if you have a shorter or longer menstrual cycle.

Also, if you are experiencing this type of discharge around the time your next period is due or after a missed period, it is possible that you could be pregnant or experiencing delayed ovulation (more on that later).

2. Did you have unprotected sexual intercourse?

This is an important question you need to answer right away. Have you recently involved in sexual activity? Did you use a condom or are you on a reliable contraceptive method?

If you’ve had unprotected intercourse and then miss your period, pregnancy is a possibility. The slimy discharge by itself cannot confirm this, so you will still need a pregnancy test to know for sure.

3. Do you have other unpleasant symptoms?

There could be a possibility of an infection. So, do you feel itchy down there? Any sore around the outside of your vagina? Do you feel your discharge is foul smelling? Are you experiencing painful intercourse or bleeding during intercourse?

If you are, there is a chance that you have an infection. Abnormal discharge often comes with:

• Strong or “fishy” smell

• Yellow, green, grey, or blood-stained colour

• Burning when you pee

• Pelvic pain or pain during sex

If you notice any of these, please see your doctor or a sexual health / gynaecology clinic for tests and treatment.

What causes clear slimy discharge

1. Ovulation

Most commonly, a slimy discharge happens because you are about to ovulate or already ovulating.

Ovulation is a process that happens naturally in a normal menstrual cycle. It involves the cyclic release of an egg from one of your ovaries during each menstrual cycle.

During a 28-day menstrual cycle, ovulation usually happens around the middle, about 12–16 days before your next period. This may be earlier if you have a shorter cycle or later if your cycle is longer.

So, to determine your ovulation period, you can simply use our menstrual calculator.

So, how does ovulation cause a slimy discharge?

Just after the end of your period, estrogen slowly rises until it reaches its peak just before ovulation occurs. This rise is fueled by follicle stimulating hormone and the growth of the ovarian follicles.

Estrogen is the most dominant in the first half of your menstrual cycle that is seperated by ovulation. In other words, before ovulation, estrogen is the most powerful hormone.

During this rise in estrogen, most women will notice changes to their body. They may feel breast tightness, abdominal bloating, increased libido, abdominal cramps. Also, they may experience a slimy vaginal discharge.

This discharge is somewhat like a thread and stretchy. Many women describe it as looking like raw egg white – clear, slippery and stretchy. It hardly breaks when stretched between your fingers. It is not sticky and might have a mild odor (not offensive).

If you get this type of discharge, there is nothing to worry. You can check if you have other symptoms of ovulation listed here.

2. Pregnancy

If you are trying to conceive, good luck. There is a possibility you are pregnant if you have a slimy discharge just around your next period date together with other early pregnancy signs, especially a missed period. But it is not always reliable and you must take a pregnancy test to confirm if you are pregnant.

But first, it is important to understand how pregnancy causes a slimy or stringy discharge.

As previously mentioned, estrogen is the most dominant hormone before ovulation. After ovulation, another hormone begins to rise and just about a week from your next period it reaches its peak. This hormone is called progesterone.

It is formed from the corpus luteum, the remnant of the ruptured ovarian follicle during ovulation. Just like a timed event, if you do not get pregnant, corpus luteum breakdown just before your period.

This results in a fall in the level of progesterone hormone. Women who are not pregnant will notice a reduced thick discharge or a dry vaginal during this period.

However, if you are pregnant, the corpus luteum stays on. Its work primarily is to keep producing progesterone and estrogen needed in the early stages of pregnancy. Rising hormones in early pregnancy can increase the amount of thin, clear or milky discharge (called leukorrhea).

If this happens, you will experience a multitude of changes to your body. Some women notice light spotting (sometimes called implantation bleeding, discussed here), but many women do not have this at all. And if you do, you may experience a brown, pink or red slimy discharge before your period.

Other signs of pregnancy are back pain, tummy pain, vomiting, lack of appetite or increased appetite, nausea, mood swing, breast tenderness, feeling very tired, and a missed period.

As always recommended, talk to your doctor if you are concerned about any new changes to your health. He or she will recommend a pregnancy test to determine if you are pregnant. You can also see more about normal pregnancy discharge here: ACOG – Vaginal Discharge During Pregnancy or Mayo Clinic – Vaginal discharge: Causes.

3. Sexual intercourse

It is possible you’ve not noticed, but during intercourse, there is an increase in the level of vaginal wetness. You find the vaginal area moist and wet when you are stimulated just before intercourse.

This is physiologic. On both sides of your vagina, just slightly inside, are two pea-shaped glands called Bartholin Glands. They help in lubricating the inside of the vaginal canal to prevent friction and injuries during intercourse.

These release from the Bartholin’s gland can change the texture of your discharge during and just after intercourse. Semen can also mix with your cervical mucus and come out later as a clear or whitish, stretchy discharge. So, if you experience a change in the texture of your discharge after intercourse, you shouldn’t worry, as long as there is no bad smell, itching, pain or bleeding.

4. Delayed ovulation

Delayed ovulation means, your usual timing of ovulation process is shifted to a later date. That means, instead of ovulation happening in the middle of your menstrual cycle, you may ovulate later than usual, so the stretchy, slimy discharge can appear later in your cycle than you expect.

This usually happens from external factors that affect hormone release from hypothalamus and pituitary glands.

They include long term stress, sleepless nights, eating disorders, thyroid abnormalities, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), sudden weight loss or gain, and very intense exercise.

If your ovulation is delayed you will exprince the signs of ovulation at a later date including a smily looking (slimy looking) discharge. If your cycles are very irregular (shorter than 21 days or longer than 35 days), or you are trying to conceive and are not sure you are ovulating, it is a good idea to see your doctor for a review.

5. Vaginal infections (yeast, BV and STIs)

Sometimes, a change in discharge is due to infection. Common causes include:

• Yeast infection (thrush) – usually causes thick, white, “cottage cheese” discharge with intense itching and soreness, but no strong smell.

• Bacterial vaginosis (BV) – typically causes thin, grey-white discharge with a strong “fishy” smell.

• Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea and trichomonas – can cause yellow or green discharge, pelvic pain, pain when you pee, or bleeding after sex.

These infections usually do not cause the classic clear, stretchy “egg white” mucus seen at ovulation, but they can make your discharge look and smell different. If you notice itching, burning, new smell, colour change, pain, sores, or bleeding, please see your doctor or a sexual health clinic for tests and treatment.

6. Contraceptive use and hormones

Hormonal contraceptives (like the pill, implant, patch, injection, or hormonal IUD) can change the amount and texture of your discharge. Some women notice more clear or white discharge; others feel drier than before.

This is usually harmless, but if you get new symptoms such as itching, foul smell, pain, or bleeding between periods after starting a new contraceptive, you should speak with your doctor or family planning clinic.

Still worried about slippery discharge? Let us know. And remember, if you are ever unsure, especially if you have pain, bad smell, bleeding, fever or feel very unwell, please see your doctor or go to a clinic for a proper examination.