Day after day, the vagina is exposed to possible hostile attacks: after all, it is a constant connection to the outside world, where numerous potential pathogens also lurk. To protect the vagina and the associated sexual organs, nature has devised a sophisticated defense system. An important part of the protective process is the constantly produced vaginal secretion, which is used to transport dead cells, blood, pathogens and sperm to the outside.
It also makes the mucous membranes less susceptible to minor injuries by constantly moistening them. An enormously important part of the vaginal protective function is played by the vaginal environment, that is, the composition of the secretion and what colonizes the mucous membrane.
Composition of the vaginal flora
The acidic pH of the vaginal flora makes life difficult for many pathogens and is caused by lactate. This lactic acid is produced by the numerous “good” lactobacilli normally present in the vagina when they break down glycogen, a sugar that is stored in the mucosal cells under the influence of hormones.
But lactobacilli, often referred to as Döderlein rods, produce even more:
- Other toxic acids and hydrogen peroxide.
- Metabolites (bacteriocins) that inhibit the growth of germs.
- Biosurfactants that prevent other bacteria from clinging to the vaginal wall.
- Coaggregation molecules by which pathogens are prevented from migrating.
This mixture makes it almost impossible for most potentially pathogenic germs to take up residence in the vagina. This makes it clear how important a healthy vaginal flora is.
Discharge: normal, heavy or colored – what does it mean?
Antibiotics disrupt the vaginal flora
And this explains why taking antibiotics can lead to vaginal problems – after all, lactobacilli (and other germs that are part of the normal colonization) are also bacteria that can be sensitively disturbed by some drugs.
Vaginal secretions: what appearance is normal?
Vaginal secretion, which is constantly produced in small quantities, consists of sloughed-off mucosal cells of the vagina, water, salts, urea, acids and proteins, as well as bacteria and isolated blood cells.
Normal discharge is glassy-white (“fluor alba”), liquid and of inconspicuous odor and it does not cause any discomfort. Incidentally, vaginal secretions produced during sexual arousal are formed by squeezing fluid from the cells of the swollen mucosa and are used for moistening (lubrication); they mix with a mucous secretion from the Bartholin glands at the vaginal entrance.
Quantity and odor of the discharge
The amount (as well as the composition, consistency, and odor) of discharge changes not only throughout life, but also during the female cycle, controlled by sex hormones, especially estrogen. For example, it is produced more frequently shortly before ovulation to create an environment particularly conducive to fertilization, and then increases again shortly before menstruation.
