Free Women's Health Advice

Please know that our general columns cannot take the place of a visit to a qualified professional who can determine your exact situation and needs.

Archived Questions and Answers from
Debra L. Hill-Busselle, MD
On Women's Health Issues

• I am past childbearing age, do I need an OBGYN or can a Family Practice Physician do my Pap smear?

• I am 67 years old and have gone off my HRT. It seems I have less sensation with sex and that my vagina does not seem as firm with intercourse. Is this from stopping my estrogen?

• I am 16 years old and have a problem. Sometimes I notice an abnormal discharge. It looks like raw egg white. It does not have an odor. It goes away for a while, and then comes back again. What is wrong with me? I am afraid to ask my mom.

• I’m 58 years old and haven’t had a period for 5 years. I have a few hot flashes, but they are mild. I’ve never taken hormone therapy and seem to be doing fine without it. Sex, however, has become uncomfortable and at times it really hurts. Is this normal for someone my age?

• I’ve been having hot flashes and night sweats. My cycles are changing, I don’t sleep as well as I used to and I can be pretty moody at times. I am 46 years old and think I am too young to be in menopause. My friend, who is 39 years old, just stopped taking birth control pills three months ago. She is having hot flashes daily and has not had a period yet. She told me her mom went through menopause in her early 40s. Is she in menopause? Am I?

• I am 43 years old and try to exercise regularly. When I go to my aerobics class and we do jumping jacks, I leak urine! I am so embarrassed! What’s wrong with me?

• Should my daughter get the new HPV vaccine?

Questions & Answers

Question

I am 16 years old and have a problem. Sometimes I notice an abnormal discharge. It looks like raw egg white. It does not have an odor. It goes away for a while, and then comes back again. What is wrong with me? I am afraid to ask my mom.

Answer

It sounds like normal ovulation mucus. Once a month, right before you ovulate (when the egg is released from the ovary), it is common and normal to have a fairly large amount of clear mucous discharge. This can last for a few days. This usually occurs about halfway between your periods. If you consider the first day of your bleeding to be Day 1, this mucus usually appears on Day 13 or Day 14, or about 2 weeks after your period has started. The ovary has been making lots of estrogen in the first half of your menstrual cycle and that causes the abundant clear mucus.

Once you ovulate your ovary starts to also make progesterone, which then causes the cervical mucus to change. It becomes much thicker, opaque or cloudy, and less in amount. Don’t worry, although this may seem ‘weird’ to you, it is actually a normal part of the female cycle. If you ever develop a discharge that is yellow or green or has a strong odor, or if you are experiencing pelvic pain or itching/irritation associated with the discharge, you will need to have that evaluated.

I know this is embarrassing and a little scary. But don’t be afraid to talk to your mom. She is a female and has experienced these things also.