Squirting or creaming? 5 things to know about vaginal discharges

The vagina is always moist. It is a mucous membrane, and so it secretes different types of liquids.

There are many reasons why the vagina feels wet. Some of these reasons are arousal, hormonal swings, stress, ovulation and fertility status.

It is normal to discharge about two to five millimetres of clear, white odourless liquid every day from your vagina. The normal discharge women experience is called cervical fluid.

But when is this discharge abnormal? Well, here are some things to note;

1. Getting wet is good

When a woman is aroused her glands produce more fluids to make sex less painful and reduce any injuries.

Sexual excitement causes blood to flow into her vagina, blood vessels to swell, and fluid to appear on the vaginal walls.

2. Squirting isn’t always pee

Very few women expel a large amount of water during sex but some do and it is popularly known as squirting. With the popularity of pornographic videos, it is seen as an ideal stage during sex, but the question remains 'is it pee?'

It is a combination of urea (pee), uric acid, and creatinine released from Skene’s gland, which is at the lower end of the urethra. It usually happens during sex when a woman’s G-spot has been hit.

For most women, vaginal penetration does not cause orgasm but correct clitoral stimulation and G-spot stimulation can cause squirting.

Even though squirting isn’t just urine, urine is still a big part of it.

3. What is creaming?

Creaming is a colloquial term. It is the liquid expelled during sex. The difference is that it is way thicker in consistency and whitish. It is not a bad thing. Women’s bodies react differently to sexual arousal.

4. What discharge is abnormal?

Well, colour, texture and smell are a good pointer to what might be an abnormal discharge. Gonorrhoea or chlamydia can cause a green or yellow discharge with a foul smell. Yeast infection is thick and white and doesn’t smell. Bacterial vaginosis is thick, yellow and white or yellow.