Bleeding outside your period may be considered normal when it occurs after gynecological exams and contraceptive changes, without the necessary treatment and without health problems. In most cases, bleeding outside your period corresponds to bleeding, also called leaky bleeding, which is a small bleed that can occur between menstrual cycles and lasts approximately 2 days.
However, a small bleed outside the menstrual period can also be a sign of pregnancy when it appears 2 to 3 days after unprotected intimate contact, for example, or it may be a symptom of premenopausality when it occurs in a woman over 40. old age. Find out what it means to bleed during pregnancy.
The main causes of bleeding outside your period are
In addition, other situations can cause bleeding outside your period or excessive bleeding, such as ectopic pregnancy and uterine cancer, and you need to follow all medical recommendations.
Not to be confused with bleeding outside your period, know when your period should return:
Bleeding after sex is not normal, only when it is the first sexual relationship, with a ruptured hymen. If bleeding occurs after intercourse, it is important to see your gynecologist for testing and the cause of bleeding. See what tests your gynecologist usually requests.
Bleeding may indicate sexually transmitted diseases, trauma during sex, the presence of sores in the cervix or occur due to insufficient lubrication of the vagina, for example. In addition, if the woman has cancer or ovarian cysts, endometriosis, or bacterial or fungal infections, bleeding may occur after intercourse. Learn more about bleeding after sex.
Bleeding after intercourse can be evaluated based on the amount and color of the blood, bright red indicates infections or lack of lubrication, and brown indicates blood loss, which lasts approximately 2 days. Know when dark bleeding is a warning sign.
It is advisable to see the gynecologist when
In these cases, your doctor may perform diagnostic tests, such as vaginal smears, ultrasound, or colposcopy, to evaluate a woman’s reproductive system and identify if there are any problems that cause bleeding, initiating appropriate treatment, if necessary. Also learn how to treat menstrual bleeding.