Question: Dear Doctor,
I have an ongoing problem that has been making me feel rather self-conscious for a while (I actually can't remember but far longer than a year) and no doctor seems to have addressed it. It regards problems of vaginal discharge (yellow and smelly) and a wet (different, odd) smell from a clear discharge/fluid found on underwear.

It started with finding my underwear wet, I was worried I had an incontinence problem as this was a thin watery discharge, unlike a normal healthy vaginal discharge. My doctor told me this was unlikely as I didn't feel I needed to rush to the loo (at the time smell was not an issue) and gave me tablets for BV. This didn't solve the problem.

Over the last year I was diagnosed with PCOS (had a scan - small normal cysts, nothing to worry about) and went for private tests. I asked the doctor whilst there about the smell with watery discharge and she examined me said it was fine (although I think it looks rather red), took a swab (which came back as fine) and said that going back on the pill for PCOS would also help the discharge problem. It hasn't. I have to constantly wear pads/liners. My clothes all smell around the crotch. Not really sure how to describe the smell, but it isn't pleasant. It's making me feel really unclean - now both a yellow smelly discharge and this "wet problem" on underwear (which is not the same as when I sweat down there or any sexual related wetness). It's been going on a long time and I'd like some suggestions before I go back to the doctor. I do not drink enough fluids if this helps. I suffer from PCOS and IBS. I am not sexually active and haven't been for a long time (2 years+). I was regularly tested (negative) and 99% of the time used condoms (I was with a stable partner). I am almost certain I do not have an STI. If you could advise me before going to my doctor again and being fobbed off (!) that would be great. It's becoming tiresome (liners, clothes) and making me feel "dirty" and affecting my self-confidence for future sexual relations and feeling of "dirtyness" despite washing before (Muslim) prayer.

I am 23 years old, no longer sexually active, have lost weigh recently I'd average somewhere around 63 kilos (never weighed much more than 70kg), 1.63m. PCOS, IBS. Not had more than one or two known cases of thrush ever. On combined pill - sometimes my pill taking is "sporadic".

Problem for 1-2 years. Year before this problem was in Italy - had a random smear came back negative, changed pills a lot up until now (combined to XXXXXXX pill back to combined due to varying doctors "opinions" due to cancer in family, headaches at time, and PCOS), had urine infection cleared up with antibiotics, one occasion of losing control over bladder in such time period.

Thank you for your time

Dear Dr. Charugulla,

I'd like to thank you for your reply and for your time. But I find that with the NHS this isn't simple - getting "real medical care now" worries me in this light. I shall go to the doctors but as far as they're concerned I have PCOS and nothing was mentioned about monitoring it (essentially "deal with it" - it was me that had to push for tests, pay over £200 for private tests etc., get a second opinion because quite frankly I've lost faith in them, you constantly have to push and I'm not the medic).

I really wouldn't know where to start in dealing with this.... I'll go to the GP and mention your advice, my background and the discharge and take it from there. I don't have a gynecologist - they are only available privately or for specific outpatient hospital visits such as the scan I had for PCOS.

Many thanks for your time.