Spotting: Is it normal to bleed outside of your period? – GOOD SHAPE

Turn and move, you are surprised with a drop of blood in your panties. A menstruation it’s gone and, in theory, it’s far from happening again, but there’s that little stain. It doesn’t look like anything, so you don’t even care. The following week, the same thing. A drop here, another there. The cycle comes and goes, and every now and then you notice these microbleeds. Is this normal?

What is spotting?

This event has a name, “spotting”, and characterizes irregular bleeding, usually in small amounts, outside the menstrual period. The name refers to the term “spots” in English, that is, “points” or “spots”, in a way that they are bleeding so small that they can even dirty the panties, but they hardly need a pad to be contained.

“It is a not so uncommon symptom and it can occur at all ages”, he explains. Thais Domingues, specialist in assisted reproduction at Huntington Reproductive Medicine. “Usually, these are very common complaints among users of hormonal contraception and in the first 3 to 6 months of use. However, they can also occur with the concomitant use of drugs that affect hormone absorption and/or metabolism, such as antibiotics”.

What to do in case of spotting

Despite being relatively common, it does not mean that the causes of these small bleeds do not need to be investigated. According to the doctor, it is necessary to find out the reason for this symptom. “It can be a consequence of normal (so-called physiological) processes in women of childbearing age, such as ovulation or an early sign of pregnancy (implantation, “nidation”). But we always need to exclude abnormal (pathological) causes of bleeding, such as endometriosis or injuries to the cervix/vagina,” she explains.

In order for these diagnoses to be excluded, the gynecologist may use some standard tests, such as gynecological tests and transvaginal ultrasound. But, above all, you must have a good clinical history to ensure an accurate assessment.

As is to be expected, the treatments will be according to the specific causes. “Many times, it is just an adjustment of contraceptives and orientation”, concludes the doctor.