Sexuality & Sexual Health

Is My Discharge Normal?

Published: May 20, 2019

Dear TeenHealthFX,

I'm a 12 year old girl and I woke up with a very big feeling in my vagina area. It wasnât a bad feeling. But a lot of white slimy stuff came out of my vagina and was all over my underwear. What happened and is this normal?

Signed: Is My Discharge Normal?

Dear Is My Discharge Normal?,

TeenHealthFX appreciates your concern and understands that you may be feeling confused. You don’t mention if you have already started getting your period. It’s normal to feel or see discharge on your underwear 6 months to a year before you get your first period which is usually between the ages of 10-15. Than depending on your cycle almost all woman will experience vaginal discharge that is clear, white, or off-white in color (or slightly yellow when it dries). If at any time you notice that the discharge has a very strong odor is bloody, foamy, itchy, yellow, or yellow-green in color this can be a sign of infection, or if you experience any abdominal pain along with the discharge- you need to see your healthcare professional. You might also consider wearing a pantiliner to keep your underwear dry.

Signed: TeenHealthFX

Ratings

Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death in the US among people aged 10-14 ¹

Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death in the US among people aged 15-24 ²

51% of youth (6-17) get treatment each year for a mental health condition ³

15.6 teenage girls for every 1,000 will give birth to a baby before they are 20 years old. ⁴

Only 6% of high school students get tested for STDs ⁵

1/3 of high school students who were currently sexually active used effective hormonal birth control the last time they had sex with an opposite-sex partner ⁶

Nearly 30% of female students currently drank alcohol and nearly 20% currently used marijuana.⁷

2.14 million middle and high school students currently vape ⁸

Over 80% of women and men both report having experienced their first rape under the age of 25. ⁹

Almost 40% of high school students have reported using marijuana at least once. ¹⁰

83.88% of 12- to 17-year-olds have reported using marijuana within the last month. ¹¹

One in four women first experienced intimate partner violence before the age of 18. ¹²

5.9 million teens have reported to drink at least once in the past month. ¹³

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About 1 in 10 children live in a home with a parent who has a drinking problem ¹⁵

Only 65 percent of teens consistently wear seat belts when driving or as a passenger. ¹⁶

The risk of motor vehicle crashes is higher among 16- to 19-year-olds than any other age group. ¹⁷

49% of the youth report having less than 3 friends in 2022 ¹⁸

^{2.7 million youth report experiencing severe major depression}¹⁹

Over 3.3 million teens will be graduating from high school in the year 2023-2024 ²⁰

The average social media screen time for teens is 7 hours and 22 minutes per day ²¹