The short explanation
Yellow-green discharge with burning is not typical of normal discharge and is worth getting checked soon. It can be caused by trichomoniasis or by other sexually transmitted infections such as gonorrhoea or chlamydia, and sometimes by bacterial vaginosis or irritation. These infections are common, are not a sign that anyone did something shameful, and are treatable. A clinician can examine you and take a swab or urine test to find the cause. Many of these infections can affect fertility or cause pelvic infection if left untreated, so it is better not to wait or rely on home remedies.
What depends on your situation
The parts of this that change from woman to woman. Uncertainty is stated, not hidden.
- If an infection that passes through sex is found, your husband usually needs treatment too, at the same time, otherwise it can pass back and forth. Avoiding sex until both of you have finished treatment helps.
- Burning can also come from a urine infection, and the two can happen together.
- Tell the doctor if you might be pregnant, because it can change which tests and treatments are chosen.
What this answer cannot determine
The boundary of online education. These need a clinician who can see you.
- The colour of discharge alone cannot show which infection, if any, is present. Tests are needed.
Questions for your clinician
Take these with you. You can add any of them to an appointment card.
- Which infection could this be, and what tests will you do?
- Does my husband need to be tested or treated as well?
- When is it okay to have sex again?
- Could this affect my chances of getting pregnant later?
When to seek help
Clinician-approved guidance for this topic. When in doubt, being seen is never the wrong choice.
Get help the same day
- Get care the same day if you have lower belly pain, fever, or pain during sex along with the discharge.
Book an appointment soon
- See a clinician within a few days for yellow-green discharge with burning, even if it seems mild. A government hospital STI or gynaecology clinic offers testing at low or no cost.
Raise it at a routine appointment
- You can ask for a woman doctor, and you can bring a friend or relative into the room with you if that helps.
Sources
The evidence this explanation is built on.
- Vaginal discharge NHS
- Vaginal itching and discharge MedlinePlus (NIH)
- Vaginal diseases MedlinePlus (NIH)
Who wrote and reviewed this
Every AskHer answer names its author. A clinically reviewed answer also names the clinician who signed it off — if no clinician is named below, it has not been clinically reviewed.
- Author
- AskHer Editorial (AI-assisted draft) AskHer's editorial team — not an individual clinician Works in English, தமிழ், हिन्दी
- Clinical reviewer
- Nobody yet No clinician has signed this answer off, and no person on the editorial team has read it yet. That is what the “Written with AI assistance” label means. It is queued for an editor to read, and then for a clinician who works in this area. The sources it was drafted against are listed above.
- Review status
- Written with AI assistance — not yet reviewed by a person
- Last reviewed
- Not yet reviewed by a person
- Version
- 1
Correction history
Substantive changes are listed, not quietly edited away.
No corrections have been made since this answer was first published.
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