Quantitation of vaginal discharge in healthy volunteers

Abstract

Summary. The mean quantity of vaginal discharge measured on four occasions during one menstrual cycle in 22 asymptomatic volunteers was 1.55 g/8 h although the amount varied significantly between different days of the cycle. The maximum occurred at mid-cycle (1.96 g/8 h) and low mean values were seen on day 7 (1.38 g/8 h) and day 26 (1.37 g/8 h), contrasting with the widely held view that the discharge increases premenstrually. This cyclical variation was statistically significant (P < 0.02) in celibate women using no contraception but was less marked in sexually active women taking the combined oral contraceptive pill.